EP REVIEW: Death Goals – ‘Survival Is An Act Of Defiance’

Survival Is An Act Of Defiance is a bold statement that only Death Goals could make.The duo’s new EP doesn’t just carry a message; it lives and breathes it, a furious yet heartfelt reflection on the realities of being queer in a world that too often turns hostile. Across five blistering tracks, Death Goals swing between raw catharsis and moments of solidarity, channeling both the rage of lived experience and the warmth of chosen family. The result is an EP that feels as much like a rallying cry as it does a lifeline, affirming survival itself as a radical act. Gripping riffs, crushing rhythms, and perfectly placed guest features from members of Burner, The HIRS Collective and Victim Unit elevate the record further. Here, Death Goals are making noise, but they’re making a stand.

The EP opens with Kill With Kindness, and it immediately sets the stage for what Death Goals are here to do. The track tears out of the gate with serrated riffs and a rhythm section that feels like it’s dragging the listener headfirst into the fray. Lyrically, it wrestles with the exhausting expectation placed on queer people to be endlessly patient and polite in the face of prejudice. That hollow platitude of ‘killing them with kindness’ is flipped on its head and sharpened into a weapon. Harry Nott of Burner’s feature takes the song into even more unrelenting territory, his vocals bursting through with raw venom, adding weight to the fury already pouring out of Death Goals. What makes the track so compelling is the way it balances that rage with clarity; the message never gets lost in the noise. Instead, it becomes amplified, turning what could have been a straightforward hardcore opener into a manifesto, a demand to be heard and a warning that silence is no longer an option.

Tchotchke (featuring Jenna Pup of The HIRS Collective) takes the fury of the opener and twists it into something even more unhinged. The song lashes out with breakneck tempo shifts and riffs that feel like they’re constantly on the verge of collapse, mirroring the chaos and fragility of queer existence under pressure. The title itself—a tchotchke, a trinket or object often dismissed as worthless—becomes a metaphor for the way marginalized identities are too often devalued or treated as disposable. Death Goals push back against that erasure with noise and defiance, refusing to be overlooked or cast aside. Pup’s guest spot injects an extra layer of urgency, their vocals a serrated counterpoint that cuts through the wall of sound like a rallying cry from the underground. The track is equal parts unfiltered rage and affirming solidarity, capturing that sense of finding strength in community even when the world is intent on grinding you down.

The EP closes with its namesake, Survival Is An Act Of Defiance, a track that feels like the record’s core statement distilled into its purest form. Where earlier songs bristled with chaotic energy, this finale channels that rage into something more deliberate, a pounding, anthemic call to arms. The guitars crash down like waves, the drums thunder with a relentless pulse, and every vocal line feels spit out with the urgency of survival itself. The presence of Victim Unit’s Lotta Ridgely amplifies the track’s weight, her contribution threading a defiant rawness into the chaos, making the song feel less like a performance and more like collective testimony. As the track unfolds, it doesn’t just rage instead it uplifts, insisting that living authentically in a hostile world is itself a victory. By the time the final notes ring out, the message is undeniable: this is not just music, it’s a rallying point, and Death Goals have carved out an anthem for anyone who’s ever had to fight simply to exist.

As a whole, Survival Is An Act Of Defiance is more than just an EP, it’s a rallying point. Death Goals don’t simply scream into the void; they scream for survival, for community, and for recognition. In a society where queer lives are still politicized, undermined, and targeted, the band’s message feels urgent and necessary. To frame survival as an act of defiance is to flip the script, to remind listeners that existence itself can be radical when the world is built against you. Within the music industry, where queer voices are too often sidelined or tokenized, Death Goals carve out a space that is unapologetically loud, visible, and authentic. Their willingness to pair unrelenting aggression with moments of solidarity shows that heavy music isn’t just about violence or nihilism: it can be about survival, resistance, and love. Each guest feature reinforces that communal spirit, turning the EP into something bigger than the band itself: a testament to the power of queer artists banding together to demand their place. By its end, Survival Is An Act Of Defiance feels less like a short record and more like a declaration, a work that pushes both society and the industry to listen, to care, and to change.

For fans of: Pupil Slicer, Burner, Norma Jean

‘Survival Is An Act Of Resistance’ by Death Goals is out now.

Words by Ell Bradbury