Death: III

Richard Gehr on June 10, 2014

“Like all things which passes within a universe, so shall death,” intones guitarist David Hackney solemnly, if ungrammatically, at the beginning of “We Are Only People,” the spare-then-powerful eight-minute centerpiece of III. Recorded sporadically during the seventies—the third and final album gleaning the formerly forgotten genius of Detroit rockers Death—III consists of equal parts urban grit, spiritual optimism and quasi-experimental garage rock. Redefined as black proto-punks in the 2012 documentary A Band Called Death, the three brothers Hackney, as titles like “We’re Gonna Make It” and “Open Road” suggest, were more positive and musically accomplished than their greatest-band-name-ever might imply.

Artist: Death
Album: III
Label: Drag City