REVIEW: Death Goals - Survival Is An Act Of Defiance

Way back in the early to mid '00s, when social media was in its infancy, one website had a stranglehold on the alternative scene. It made many proficient in HTML, and was the home to a golden era of deathcore and mathcore. That website was MySpace. It was where bands like GWEN STACY, THE SAWTOOTH GRIN, TOWER OF ROME, and HEAVY HEAVY LOW LOW got their big break and, for some, it was when these -core genres were at their best. But, dear reader, we might be on the verge of a renaissance.

In comes DEATH GOALS, a UK-based duo with an already impressive slate of releases under their belt, with their latest EP, Survival is an Act of Defiance. It’s a short-but-sweet “Queercore” EP that’s reminiscent of that MySpace deathcore golden era that you might just not be able to get enough of.

Survival is an Act of Defiance was tipped as the band’s most politically-charged and aggressive release to date that manages to impressively blend elements of deathcore, mathcore, and sasscore into five tracks spanning just 10 minutes. Think THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS meets CONVERGE meets THE NUMBER TWELVE LOOKS LIKE YOU. It’s chaotic as hell with a slew of queer guest vocalists each pushing a message: as the world becomes increasingly hostile toward the queer community, they won’t back down, and will continue to spread love, solidarity, and compassion, no matter what. 

Now, have you ever wondered how many panic chords are too many panic chords? The answer, according to DEATH GOALS, is there are never too many panic chords. Survival is an Act of Defiance is utter mayhem and the absolute barrage of panic chords throughout the EP barely gives you enough time to breathe, even during Even an Empire Can Burn which features a monologue from the vocalist of CAINHURST, the background instrumental puts out a feeling of dissonance and unease. But that’s the point, you’re not supposed to feel at peace while listening to this EP. It’s raw, it’s energetic, and it’s aggressive. Also, who else could blend together electronic, dancehall/reggaeton drums, and mathcore rhythms in one track? DEATH GOALS, that’s who.

Overall, Survival is an Act of Defiance tells an important message with an audible smack in the face. No matter how much you beat on the queer community, they’ll come back stronger than ever. The EP could have done with being a little longer as you’ll definitely be left wanting more, but with releases that span as far back as 2018, if you’re new to DEATH GOALS there’s plenty to sink your teeth into.

Score: 7/10

Survival Is An Act Of Defiance was released on August 29th 2025.

Words: Aaron Richardson

Photos: Death Goals