July 8 2008
Death in June – The Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds strips Death in June’s apocalyptic folk down to its bare essence. The record has a sparse feel, pairing down the sonic excess of some previous Death in June albums to the core of strummed acoustic guitar and Douglas P.’s reverberating vocals. While there are a few instances of samples and subtle noise in the aural backdrop, The Rule of Thirds is certainly a different beast than the snarling experiments of “The Wall of Sacrifice” or All Pigs Must Die; if anything, the influence that sticks out most on The Rule of Thirds is Douglas P.’s fondness for 60s acoustic pop, as evidenced in the breezy strumming that runs throughout the album. Unfortunately, there are moments when the album is a little too bare and spaces where the songs feel like they require further embellishment. While not destined to become a blazing star of Death in June’s oeuvre, The Rule of Thirds is saved in large part by Douglas P.’s ever enigmatic, poetic lyricism.
