生 Conform 死 feat. Dropout Kings
Luxury Letdown
Independent
Children of the 90s rejoice! Nu metal is alive and well, but it’s not quite how you remember it. Perth’s 生 Conform 死 (translation: Live Conform Die) dropped their latest single Luxury Letdown late last year, a followup to their Circa 94 album from 2018.
The song features US Trap Metallers Dropout Kings and is a genre-crossing, brutal stab at social media and ‘influencer culture’. Give it a few seconds to wind up with a hip hop vibed recital of the hook line, “So, you got it figured out/ You think you’re happy now…” and Luxury Letdown punches right into pure nu metal joy. Chunky, simple guitar riffs, thick, muddy bass (both down-tuned of course) and noisy samples are a throwback to those big, bouncy Limp Bizkit bangers when Wes Borland’s use of heavy simplicity would have TRL teenagers hopping around mosh pits, tripping on their baggy pants.
It’s not all nostalgia though. The metal moments may be familiar – but let’s face it, metal as a genre hasn’t evolved that much since the early 2000s. It’s in the rap and hip hop sections that Luxury Letdown stands as a solid contemporary take. Rap today is in a place that hardly resembles the genre 15 years ago. With Soundcloud rappers and Trap leading the way, it’s Conform’s ability to bend these genres to fit into their balls out, heavy rock skeleton that makes Luxury Letdown a crossover success.
Catch the Perth-act-done-good supporting The Amity Affliction tonight at the Dunsborough Tavern, and Friday at Metropolis Fremantle.
TONY WESTWOOD
