DZ DEATHRAYS

Written by Siena Robb

If there’s one thing DZ Deathrays have never been interested in, it’s slowing down. From the rough-edged intensity of Bloodstreams through the sweat-soaked drive of Black Rat, the sharpened hooks of Bloody Lovely, latest album release R.I.F.F in 2023 and the relentless charge of Positive Rising: Part 1 & 2, the Brisbane trio have spent over a decade refining the art of controlled destruction. Each release feels like a different expression of the same instinct: loud, fast, unfiltered yet purposeful without ever playing it safe, and always operating right on the edge with ease.

With their latest album Easing Out Of Control set for release on January 16, DZ Deathrays sound more focused than ever. The record captures a band tightening the screws, stripping things back where it matters and letting the impact hit harder for it. Fast, sharp, and direct, it’s an album that confirms DZ Deathrays’ place not just as pillars of Australian punk rock, but as one of its defining forces. We caught up with Lachlan, Shane and Simon to talk evolution, clarity, and why, more than a decade on, DZ Deathrays aren’t just keeping pace, they’re still setting it. With the band pushing themselves creatively and sonically, we asked what specifically drove them into this more urgent, high-intensity space and what they were chasing in the process.

This new era of DZ Deathrays feels sharper and more frenetic. What pushed you into that space creatively?

I think we wanted to try exploring in the more recent tracks. We wanted to see how urgent we could be in some tracks and also see how much we could tear it all down and simply have a piano and vocal in a song. It’s always been about challenging ourselves as musicians and writing something that doesn’t sound traditionally like DZ but once all is recorded it always seems to resemble the band. I think that’s the way we evolve and evolution is what keeps us going.

Alongside that heightened intensity sits a lyrical thread that feels deeply reflective, grappling with systems, destruction, and the uneasy line between intention and impact. We wanted to know what conversations or moments sparked those themes.

Lyrically, your latest single ‘Pissing In The Breeze’ touches on destruction and humanity trying to fix a broken system. What conversations or ideas sparked those lyrics?

I don’t believe there was a specific conversation that sparked this idea just a general outlook at life and how even in our small personal lives we try our best to do the right thing but it’s hard to grasp if it’s actually bettering the world in the bigger picture or just fulfilling our own satisfaction and making ourselves feel good.

While much of the record thrives on chaos and momentum, there are moments that feel more expansive and introspective. We asked what inspired Skyline, and how it fits into the broader emotional arc of the album.

‘Skyline’ leans into clarity and perspective. What moment or shift sparked this track, and how does it fit into the larger emotional arc of the album?

I always felt this when I was driving down the blue mountains to work or into Sydney. There’s a couple of moments where you get some amazing views and I liked the idea of finding clarity and calm when you see the bigger image of the world.

After more than a decade as a band, evolution feels inevitable but losing identity doesn’t. We were curious about what feels genuinely new in this era, and what still remains at the core of DZ Deathrays.

Over a decade in, your sound keeps evolving without losing that classic DZ backbone. What feels new about this era, and what still feels like “home base” for you as a band?

Honestly it’s always a bit of back and forth when it comes to inspiration with this band. I love to be inspired to make something new but more often than not I will still go back and re-listen to old albums and see what made some songs special to us back then. I like to use that as inspiration that those sounds once inspired and excited us when we were younger and see what it does to us now. With this record, we looked back at some earlier moments of the band where we had dance elements and tried to bring them in to the new songs.

When you reflect on older records versus this upcoming album, what feels like the biggest personal or musicality shift?

I think the biggest thing for me is that we have honed in our songwriting skills to the point where the tracks are short and sharp and don’t seem to waste any time. I’m not sure if this is a good thing and I’m not sure if future songs will be as clean cut, a part of me wants to spend some time making music that adventures around a bit more, maybe more of a jam or experiment.

With six tracks already released, listeners have been given fragments of what’s to come, each offering something slightly different.

You’ve already given us a taste of Easing Out of Control with six tracks out in the world. What layers, surprises, or shifts can listeners expect from the full release?

This record definitely has the largest stylistic differences between songs. It could be because the tracks were all written over a long period of time or potentially just our headspace when putting the album together. There are a couple of really slow tempo songs (for us!) on there and then also some of our heaviest stuff to date. 

What track from the new material are you most excited for listeners to discover, and why?

Demolition was a song that I really loved once we had finished it. We spent a bit of time re-writing the chorus and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It's a simple, stomping, rock song which kinda feels dumb and silly but it has a great energy to it. 

After so many years in the Australian scene, what still excites you about making heavy, high-energy music together?

It’s always been the same for us, we make this music because it excites us and I think we just feel comfortable in that space. Hopefully we can keep this up for years to come!

Easing Out Of Control doesn’t try to reinvent DZ Deathrays it sharpens them. The album distils years of momentum, trust, and instinct into something lean and deliberate, reinforcing everything the band does best while refusing to soften the edges. In an era where longevity often dulls impact, DZ Deathrays remain uncompromising, focused, and unmistakably themselves. It’s a reminder that Australian punk rock doesn’t just survive through consistency, but through bands willing to keep pushing forward at full volume.