Welp- It’s snowing. I guess I honestly shouldn’t be surprised since I do live in Minnesota but, to have snowfall before Halloween is just plain mean and honestly the icing on the cake to this year. That being said, I’m hunkered down in the house with enough groceries to feed a small army and a stack of albums to review just in case my friends can’t make it over for The Bachelorette tomorrow night. Although the big snow isn’t supposed to hit until tomorrow, the glitter falling from the sky right now is pretty, cozy, and put me in a mood to listen to some new music so let’s get this party started with Deep Tissue’s ‘Patience Or Fear’.

A cacophony of sound took over my house as I hit play on the opening track “Mood Swing”. I instantly loved the overpowering vibe of the instrumentation that, although loud, never quite hides the almost industrial styled vocals. The driving beat in this three and a half minute track made it seems to fly by before i had even really gotten used to Deep Tissue’s sound but, no need to fear, “Delirium” slowed the beat down just enough for me to really hear everything that was going on.

There’s something poppy and infectious about the beat in “Delirium” but Deep Tissue is far from a pop band. There’s something dark and industrious about their sound. Sludgy guitars, distorted bass, echoed drums– honestly, there is something very 80’s about this band that I just can’t seem to shake. The electronic drums that kick off “Liminal Space” definitely just solidified that thought. “Liminal Space” has this feel of a love song. Maybe it’s the way the vocals feel dainty against the slamming instrumentation, maybe it’s the way the words just slide from note to note. Regardless, I loved this track and it was an instant favorite of mine.

At just under three minutes long, “Despair” is the shortest song on this nine-track album but don’t let that fool you. This one packs a punch and a punchy one at that. Short, in your face, nothing short of punk, the energy of this track is top class and I instantly wanted to see this band playing in one of my favorite local dive bars. I could smell the beer being spilled, I could feel the beads of sweat rolling down my back, I could feel the strangers bumping up against me (pre-covid of course). What I’m trying to say is this track puts you in that dive bar with such a sense of ease. It was impossible to not play through this track a couple of times before moving on.

“Condolences” has a sense of heartbreak on it that is absolutely beautiful. Although this track is just as loud as the previous songs, there’s something a bit more sensitive about this track. It’s the kind of thing that I can’t quite put into words but could feel throughout my body as this track pumped through my speakers. That heaviness instantly lifted as the album moved on to “Dead Head/ Heavenly Bodies”. At seven minutes long, I was intrigued to see where this track went. The beginning is quick and ore of that ’80s infused rock that Deep Tissue does so well. Were they really going to keep this up for all seven minutes? The answer is yes and no. Deep Tissue does this genius thing of keeping the riff the same while giving it multiple different feelings throughout the seven minutes. Although this is all clearly one track, the way they seem to shift through different genres throughout the track kept me completely captivated until the bitter end of the song.

“Daisy Chained” sounds like a track straight out of a 90’s movie. There’s something nostalgic and melancholy about this one that, if you’re not careful, is super easy to get lost in and that’s exactly what happened to me when listening. I was so wrapped up in my own head that, had it not been the stark difference in beat between “Daisy Chained” and “Injury”, I may not have even noticed the song was over. “Injury” brings back this dark undertone that can be heard here and there throughout this album but really seems to bring it to the spotlight. It’s crashey, boomy, but still so distinctively Deep Tissue. Sure, it may have taken nearly this entire album but I think I finally caught onto just what this band is so good at and it’s this dark, 90’s revival, industrial, goth-wave mess of beauty.

Closing out the nine-song album is “Waiting”. “Waiting” reminded me a lot of “Daisy Chained” as far as the cinematic quality of it. There’s something super retrospective about this track that it’s hard to not just get completely lost in it. It’s honestly the perfect track to end the ‘Patience Or Fear’ journey on but also a perfect cliffhanger that had me excited to dig into what else this band has out there.

Deep Tissue has a sound unlike anything I’ve heard in recent months and I love it. Unique, dark, personal, perfect– those ar just a few words that come to mind about this band but maybe you’ll hear something completely different. This band is so different, so originals– you just have to hear it for yourself.

My Favorite Track(s): “Liminal Space”; “Despair”; Daisy Chained”

For Fans Of: Darkness, 90’s Movies Soundtracks; Driving Beats

Dance-ability: 6.4 out of 10

What My Cats Thought Of It: Artie tried to eat the leaf I tracked in from taking the trash out; Autumn slept on the back of the couch

How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 6.8 out of 10

My Overall Rating: 7.1 out of 10

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Listen to ‘Patience Or Fear’ Here!

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