Born Pessimist Twisted ‘Don’t Be Afraid of the Dead’ into Clockwork Baroque Theatre and Berserk Metalcore Visceralism –

If no one has coined the dark cabaret trap metal genre before the drop of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dead, the honour has to go to Born Pessimist. The opening sequence turns as if operated by clockwork mechanisms, instilled with baroque theatricality; as the track progresses, the shadows over the production become more all-consuming as Born Pessimist’s bars start to sharpen their candid sting.

That delivery unravels into a frantically urgent outpour of stark truths until the single descends into industrial metalcore catharsis, running with the same feverish force as a juggernaut in berserk mode. Following the crescendo of ferocious metal motifs, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dead digs into the melodiousness of neo-classical chamber trap, with the narrative driving the mix as you come face to face with mortality and reconcile with how death has nothing on the horror of life.

Across previous releases, from the industrial rap abrasion of Shock and Awe to the lo-fi acoustic desolation of This Sunless Space, Born Pessimist has kept pushing into harsher emotional terrain while widening the sonic frame. With Aluminum now in the works, this single lands like a vicious thesis statement for whatever comes next.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dead is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast