False Figure: Castigations Vinyl LP

Street Date: Jan 20, 2023

False Figure’s latest LP is a masterclass in modern deathrock, blending the raw energy of classic California acts like Christian Death and TSOL’s Change Today? era with the icy atmospherics of black metal and the rhythmic urgency of Bay Area and New York underground contemporaries (Crimson Scarlet, Anasazi). Born in 2015 from the collaboration of Ian and [unnamed member], the trio’s sound has evolved into a sharp, airy, and rhythm-forward assault—showcased in their newest LP—where melodic hooks, driving post-punk beats, and blackgaze textures collide. Their mantra? “ALL KILLER NO FILLER”: a concise, manic-yet-controlled chaos reflecting personal turmoil, loss, and the suffocating grip of capitalist dystopia (see: San Francisco’s fraying margins). Themes of melancholy linger, but never stagnate; lyrics dissect failed relationships, grief, and societal decay, while instrumentation balances spacious restraint with visceral intensity. For fans of deathrock’s pioneers and darkwave’s modern innovators, this LP distills despair into anthems that haunt and ignite.