Track Review: For i Am Death by The Pretty Reckless

The Pretty Reckless have returned!

Dropping their first original track since 2021 a week ago, For I Am Death is an electrifying return to the hard rock scene, bursting with unapologetic potency.

Opening with a gritty stop-start riff, we start with a tense atmosphere. Taylor Momsen’s vocals shortly enter, her words are commanding, her tone raspy and raw. The opening line “There’s something wrong with me” is repeated multiple times throughout the song, uncomfortable and foreboding. The verse builds up, balancing that intensity with restraint which allows the chorus to release into an anthemic blast. I love how the song swings back and forth from the tiptoeing of the verse and the shout of the choruses so well, it feels effortless.

The lyrics feel dark, Taylor using the persona of Death as both a narrator and catalyst, her woes and existential unrest tied with the title. The lines “I cut but I don’t bleed” and “I can feel the needles in my hands/feel the needles in my bones” hint at some form of transfiguration happening.

The line “You can’t outrun the hand of fate” is ominous, followed with a top note “And I will wait” almost seals the conversion. I’d like to think this is a metamorphosis for the band in some way. Taylor’s vocals are still alluring and sultry, but still powerful.

The music video for this is brilliant. Directed by Lewis Cater, who has also worked with Shinedown, Bon Jovi and Pendulum, it’s a black and white visual masterpiece in my opinion. The drum timed camera shot changes, Momsen’s serpent-like movements, the ink-like substance crawling up her bare back, this feels like a flashback to the energy of the 2014 album “Going to Hell”. I also absolutely love the bats towards the end of the video, linking to her real-life incident with a very friendly bat on stage at Seville, Spain during their tour supporting AC/DC.

Overall, I love this, and I’m almost weeing with excitement to see what drops next!

Review by Neve Saltmarsh