The story of Death is a common one with an unlikely outcome. As detailed in the excellent 2012 documentary, A Band Called Death, inspired by the MC5 and The Stooges, brothers Dannis (drums), Bobby Sr. (bass/vocals), and David Hackney (guitar) formed Death in Detroit in the early ‘70s, but after almost signing to Columbia, they quietly moved on to other projects and obscurity. Eventually copies of their recordings began to trade hands on eBay, which lead to a release on Drag City in 2009, the reformation of the band, and the documentary. Sadly, David died in 2000, far before the rediscovery happened, but Bobbie Duncan, a member of Dannis and Bobby’s subsequent band, Lambsbread, filled his spot. While the fire has been stoked by the release of archival recordings, now the band has an album of all new material, appropriately titled N.E.W. (TryAngle Records).

It’s understandable to have a twinge of trepidation about Death’s return to the studio. After all, the number of truly successful reunion records is dwarfed by the amount of duds. Thankfully, N.E.W. sticks the landing. The smartest thing the band did was to not mess with the formula. At this point they could have drafted some of their famous fans to sit in or get a producer to update their sound. Instead, it sounds like the band got together in a room and let the tape roll.

Having spent a lot of time on the road before returning to the studio, Death sounds like they’ve simply picked up where they left off. According to the band, six of the ten songs have roots from the ‘70s sessions while the rest are brand new, but you’d be hard pressed to determine which is which just by listening. Lyrically, the songs have an interesting blend of youthful optimism and gained wisdom, and you can tell Bobby believes in every syllable he’s singing. This is matched with a no frills style evocative of their earlier recordings. The album is tight, with a nice variation of moods and styles. Duncan seems to have an endless supply of tricks under his belt, lying back when needed but more than happy to supply a kick of raw power or tasteful melodic licks. Meanwhile, the Brothers Hackney provide a locked-in rhythm section. Pretty much everything works on a level that it probably shouldn’t, and with only 10 songs in just a pinch over 30 minutes, they don’t overdo it. N.E.W. shows Death not only deserves accolades for its past, but has a promising present and future.