DZ DEATHRAYS EXPAND THEIR THRASHING LEGACY WITH NEW SINGLE ‘PARANOID’

by the partae
Photo by David Herington

PRAISE FOR DZ DEATHRAYS

ARIA Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album (Bloodstreams, Black Rat)
AIR Best Independent Hard Rock or Punk Album (Bloodstreams, Black Rat, Bloody Lovely
AIR Best Independent Punk Album or EP (Positive Rising: Pt 1)

“Brilliant videos and songs and a great sense of humour and style”
Mark Ronson

“They speak to my soul. It just feels good listening to their music”
MAY-A

“More than worth going deaf to”
Pitchfork

“This album has the potential to make your little sister want to
shave her head and invest in mock leather hotpants”

NME Magazine UK

“Moody Aussie noisemakers DZ Deathrays bring the concept album back to life. Again…”
Kerrang (4/5)

“It’s built on the intuitive interplay between Parsons and Ewbank, whose heavily textured playing doesn’t always sound like guitars — more like a twin malevolent force that every so often waxes celestial, like sunlight spearing through storm clouds.”
The Australian (4/5)

“Throughout Positive Rising: Part 2, undoubtedly DZ Deathrays’ most guitar-heavy record to date, Shane Parsons regulates vocal nuances like never before, guitarist Lachlan Ewbank slays multitudinous ways and Simon Ridley’s drumming can only be described as majestic”
STACK

“it’s blindingly obvious that these tracks were carefully constructed to absolutely smash
venues to pieces when translated to a live setting”

Dead Press UK

“DZ Deathrays have gone beyond the noise and energy (which was excellent) that they had from the start and have created something truly epic, memorable and monumental. If there is any justice in this world, they should be huge.”
Wall of Sound (10/10)

Indispensable post-punk trio DZ Deathrays today release their anthemic new single, ‘Paranoid’. LISTEN HERE.

Paranoid’ is a driving track, punctured by syncopated rhythms, buzzing feedback and a fiery chorus. DZ’s sound sings through the piece, with heavy double and triple-octave riff instrumentals reverberating on the lyrics: “Oi, oi, ya paranoid, hanging at the back waiting to get destroyed.” The track features notable nods to classic Aussie rock; percussive built-up introductions, howling vocals and driving repetition, demonstrating DZ Deathrays‘ lasting ability to deliver carnage-inducing riffage.

Speaking to the meaning behind ‘Paranoid‘, lead vocalist and guitarist Shane Parsons says, “I think at the time I was thinking about the way I kept questioning myself in different aspects in life. Loosely it’s about that, wanting to go in a certain direction with something but having this lingering thing stopping you or setting up roadblocks here and there.”

“The track was a real collaborative effort with Simon and Nathan Sheehy, who produced the record with us, putting the drums together. Nathan had a particular direction that the drum performance needed to go to and once we got it all together it was a really fresh approach to that part of the song for us. There’s also demo parts in there too, including Lachlan’s partner Eileen yelling “Oi, oi, ya paranoid” into a phone after chorus one and the out-of-phase claps that bring in the song.”

The multi-ARIA winning group have come a long way since the first house party gig they formed for, cultivating a global following for their addictive punk energy and sheer volume. From their inception, DZ Deathrays remain one of the most recognisable acts in the contemporary Australian rock canon, most notably with the success of their debut album Bloodstreams which made DZ synonymous with thunderous. Quickly followed by their second album Black Rat signifying a maturer sound, they expanded beyond their garage roots into an award-winning machine, touring the world countless times over, supporting The Foo Fighters stadium tours, RatatatBiffy ClyroGrinspoon and more, headline slots across The TivoliThe Enmore and The Forum, to collaborating with a Wiggle.

Amongst DZ‘s enduring fanbase they remain festival favourites with performance tallies across multiple years at Splendour In The GrassFalls FestivalSt. Jerome’s Laneway alongside international appearances at SXSWReading and Leeds Festival, and multiple entries in triple j‘s Hottest 100. Coupled with their more recent LPs Bloody Lovely and their critically-acclaimed twin concept albums, Positive Rising: Part 1 and Part 2, the project of Shane ParsonsSimon Ridley and Lachlan Ewbank has long cemented DZ Deathrays‘ staple status – it’s not every day that a band gets stronger and more popular with time. Looking to the future they affirm that the party never dies.

Paranoid‘ is out now, buy/stream it here.

Stay connected with DZ Deathrays:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Bandcamp

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