Album review: Death Lens – What’s Left Now?

The cliché is that in dire times music gets more political. At least, that is, music made by bands with empathy or a conscience, or those who don’t have the luxury of turning a blind eye to the evils of the world. Given that the four members of Death Lens are all people of colour, it’s little surprise that the LA-based quartet’s worldview has become increasingly influenced by the state of the world, especially in the wake of ICE terrorising minorities all across the U.S. at the moment.

It wasn’t always this way. When founding (and only remaining original) member Bryan Torres started Death Lens in 2011, they played instrumental surf rock. But as both times and situations worsened, so the purpose of the band, along with its line-up, shifted dramatically. The result, when vocals were added, was that the band’s attention turned more towards the injustices, both those they’d experienced personally, as well as those witnessed from further afield.

What’s Left Now? is the follow-up to 2024’s full-length, Cold World. That record was very overtly a product of its politically dystopian times. The twelve tracks that make up this one are also a response to what’s been happening in their homeland, but the band left more room for personal struggle, too. That happens most notably on the mid-tempo, mid-album Am I Drug To You, a forlorn lament full of vulnerability and longing that really dials up the sadness quota of the record.

Similarly, Waiting To Know (featuring Militarie Gun’s Ian Shelton) drowns itself in existential angst and uncertainty, and is coupled with an unhealthy dose of self-doubt. But there’s plenty of anger here, too. Blistering opener Monolith with its Latino-tinged, surfy intro, is a powerful statement of riotous intent, while the electronic-tinged bitterness of Saints In The Panic Room is a compelling exploration of identity. Elsewhere, penultimate track Pulling Teeth and snarling finale Debt Collector bristle with admirable and tangible frustration.

What’s Left Now? is a record with many powerful and moving moments. Yet while this is an album with a lot to say, it doesn’t always say it as powerfully as you wish it could. Instead, it can come off as somewhat muted and restrained, though perhaps that’s more down to the style than the band itself. Still, when this album bites, it keeps its teeth firmly in your skin.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Drug Church, Militarie Gun, Turnstile

What’s Left Now? is released on April 24 via Epitaph.