Music: Health “Thought leader”: Noise, Nihilism, and the Beauty of Controlled Chaos

L.A.’s industrial titans HEALTH return with “THOUGHT LEADER”, a searing collision of digital dissonance and existential dread — a track that cements their reputation as the most fearless architects of modern noise-pop. It’s brutal, hypnotic, and deeply human — the sound of a world coming apart, set to a perfect rhythm.

From the L.A. Underground to Global Cult Icons

Formed in the chaotic sprawl of downtown Los Angeles’ noise scene, HEALTH — Jake Duzsik (vocals, guitar), John Famiglietti (bass, production), and BJ Miller (drums) — began as provocateurs, crafting abrasive, art-damaged sound collages with little concern for accessibility. Yet over time, they’ve become one of the most influential forces in experimental rock and industrial pop.

Their 2009 breakout GET COLOR announced their arrival as innovators, mixing punk ferocity with electronic precision. After scoring Rockstar Games’ Max Payne 3 (2012), they emerged from the studio with DEATH MAGIC (2015) — a landmark fusion of synthpop, industrial, and noise that brought their apocalyptic aesthetic to the masses.

Subsequent records — VOL.4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR (2019) and the two-part DISCO4 collaborations (2020–2022) — found HEALTH collaborating with artists across metal, hip-hop, and electronica, from Nine Inch Nails to Ghostemane, proving their versatility and cultural reach. Now, with 2023’s RAT WARS, they’ve distilled that evolution into a darkly cinematic sound — sleek, savage, and utterly uncompromising.

“THOUGHT LEADER” — Sermons from the Machine

“THOUGHT LEADER” is both prophecy and panic attack. Built on mechanized drums, glitched-out synths, and Jake Duzsik’s ghostly vocals, the track explores the commodification of ideology — how influencers, algorithms, and ego worship have replaced genuine belief.

The song feels like an electric sermon broadcast from a collapsing digital cathedral — all distortion and devotion. It’s HEALTH at their sharpest: sonically punishing but emotionally resonant. Every scream and synth hit feels deliberate, balancing pain and precision in equal measure.

Lyrically, “THOUGHT LEADER” fits neatly within HEALTH’s overarching themes — faith, decay, power, and the thin line between human and machine. It’s both a critique of modern culture and a confession from within it, a reflection of the band's enduring obsession with the contradictions of existence.

Band Page: https://www.instagram.com/_health_/