Chicago-based noise rock duo Heet Deth recently announced their long-anticipated second album, titled Bad Reading, which is a collection of electrifying and pummeling songs imbued with raw energy, indignation, and anxiety about the future. With the help of producer, mixer, and engineer Doug Malone (Jamdek Recording Co.), Heet Deth (Julia Bard, drums and vocals, and Laila Eskin, guitar and vocals) formed an album that prioritizes heft, driving drums and cutting guitar riffs. Bad Reading was written amidst an onslaught of shows in and outside of Chicago and was recorded in the fall of 2023.
In the wake of the album announcement, Heet Deth released not one but two singles off of the album. Out of the first two singles on Bad Reading, the track “Laundromat” asks the question “when will it be my turn?” in the face of book burning, a looming authoritarian administration, and the mundane tasks people must do to survive while the world shifts from under their feet. “Laundromat” begins with a banging drum riff in anticipation of what’s to come next.
The second single, “High Tower,” is a manifesto of animosity towards the insatiably greedy rich and powerful, an incantation backed with a clanging and constant guitar riff overlaying ferociously dancing drums. “High Tower” is accompanied by a warbly, VHS-like music video that was shot, directed, and edited by Laila Eskin on a single camera combined with Julia’s green screen and a dream. It’s as if the White Stripes became evil and were transported into another dimension.
The band drew inspiration for Bad Reading from their uncertainty about the future, losing both of their jobs and bearing witness to the slow erosion of their own civil rights. Heet Deth are an unapologetically queer, feminine band that hold no punches or feelings when performing on stage. Donning Kabuki-like makeup and red jumpsuits, the band state, “We are from New Bad Chicago,” as they view themselves as a band roaming a future desolated city where chaos and corruption bleed into their world. For six years, Heet Deth have made their mark on Chicago’s DIY punk scene, making their way from frenzied basement mosh pits to large crowds at legendary local venues, Empty Bottle, Metro and Thalia Hall.
In short, Heet Deth are an unstoppable force, marked not only by the sheer volume instilled in performances, but also by the ceaseless intensity driving their shows. Despite the post-apocalyptic, existential ennui at the soul of Heet Deth, their live performances peppered with light-hearted quips and a goofy energy leave the crowd headbanging, dancing, and smiling. Bad Reading is not only a great accomplishment of Bard and Eskin’s songwriting but also a glimpse into the future direction of Heet Deth’s sound.
Preorder Bad Reading via The Ghost Is Clear Records here before its release on January 10, 2025.
Photo by Victoria Marie
