Finally, there is a chill in the air in the Midwest, and it is Greet Death season. The Flint, Michigan-based band makes perfect music for that time of year when the days get shorter and you pull the hoodies out of the back of the closet. On the first day of winter last year, I saw them play a packed show in Indianapolis, and it was a perfect way to welcome the coldest season.
Their name and imagery might suggest they fall in the lineage of Repulsion, the death metal pioneers also from Vehicle City, but their sound is a swirl of slowcore and shoegaze. Greet Death are on the road now, touring with Nation of Language before some headlining shows in November, promoting their excellent latest release, Die in Love.
It was a little surprising to see Die in Love arrive just as summer kicked off earlier this year, but 2025 has been one day after another of tough times, and that’s when you need Greet Death. Their songs wash over you, offering a sense of solidarity in the solitude.
“Every time we do a record, we say it’s got to be a fall record, but we released this one in summer,” says Harper Boyhtari, singer and guitarist. “It’s a romantic idea that the Midwest is great at describing depression, and there is a certain rustbelt desolation that makes for evocative imagery that we draw on.”
Co-lead singer and guitarist Logan Gaval conceived the title and the concept that unify the songs that comprise Die in Love. “So far, Logan has titled all of our records. His pitch for this record was ‘love songs done our way’. These songs ruminate on heavy concepts. The title sounds harsh, almost a threat, but it’s also a romantic idea. You hope to find someone you can die in love with. For many people, that’s the ultimate goal. The songs cover all sorts of love–friends, family, romantic, and self-love,” Boyhtari explains.
The introduction to the record came about a year ago, and its title perfectly captures the band’s current state. “Same But Different Now” opens with a more insistent rhythm than most of Greet Death’s songs, but retains the vocal and guitar sound they are known for, leading to an explosive, unexpected conclusion.
Gavel also drove the design of the album cover, which is one of the more memorable of the year, created by Olivia Sullivan. Two children, facing each other and praying, but connected by a black substance, perfectly capture the essence of the song. Die in Love was self-produced and recorded in Boyhtari’s childhood home, which turned out to be an excellent choice. “The living room in that house was great for the drums. There was a big, roomy sound there that we wanted,” Boyhtari shares.
On Greet Death’s last record, New Hell, the chilliness of songs like “Circles of Hell” and “Entertainment” was balanced by warmer-sounding tracks like “You’re Gonna Hate What You’ve Done” and “Strange Days”. Greet Death lean harder into that warmer sound this time on songs like “Country Girl” and “Love Me When You Leave”, and the balance on Die in Love comes from the aforementioned “Same But Different Now” and the anthemic title track. This is their strongest, most dynamic collection of songs yet, sure to be remembered on my year-end list.
Another highlight of Die in Love is “Motherfucker”, which Goval calls a “depression anthem” that aims to provide some catharsis for listeners. For both Goval and Boyhtari, the writing process is a way to compartmentalize feelings, to give them voice. “Motherfucker” and “I Hate Everything”, on the band’s New Low EP, share a theme.
“When I channel those feelings of isolation and depression into the song, I memorialize it forever. There is a release in that. Having that song means I’ve dealt with that feeling, and it will always have a place in my heart. There is a fanfare to performing it, where you are releasing it, and you don’t have to deal with it now. It’s a unique position, being able to put a feeling into something like a song. As a listener, I hope it makes people feel less alone, to also have a place for their feelings, too,” Boyhtari explains. “Playing these songs live adds another layer to the catharsis. “Being there at a show with other people, there is the communal experience, and the acknowledgment and sharing of that as the artist is very galvanizing.”
Unsurprisingly, given the band’s name and a t-shirt featuring an image of Leatherface from Tobe Hooper’s classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the band draws inspiration from horror films. Die in Love‘s highlight “Country Girl” contains references to John Carpenter blended into its midwestern narrative, and the video is an homage to 1980s horror movies. “I came up with the concept with my partner, and we worked with Chromatone Studios in Chicago to shoot it. It was filmed where we recorded Die in Love. It was so cool to pay homage to horror movies. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve done for the band,” Boyhtari shares.
One of the most compelling aspects of Greet Death is how Boyhtari and Gavel effortlessly blend everyday details and even humor into their lyrics. “The title of New Hell came from a coworker at one of Logan’s jobs. We find inspiration in the everyday details of life that vex us. The monotony of having to get up and do jobs and other routines, and having depression and anxiety, can fill us with dread. On New Hell and Dixieland, those were the thoughts we were occupied with. I appreciate that about us,” Boyhtari explains.
“There is beauty to be found and stories to be told in the mundane. And being receptive to that keeps me excited about writing songs,” Boyhtari shares. “We both use humor to cope with the tougher parts of life. I love the contrast of adding something sardonic in a song if it doesn’t sound corny. There’s an underlying message of hope that we want to communicate. We can laugh a little at the hard things in life.”