The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die

Even those aware of how The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die have evolved over their 16 years of existence might be surprised when they hear Dreams of Being Dust. The band’s fifth full-length, and the follow-up to 2021’s Illusory Walls, it’s an album that redefines who and what TWIABP are. That change was already apparent with the recent release of the heavy, ultra-political single “Beware The Centrist”. When news of the song was shared on Stereogum, one comment simply stated: “The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Fucking Shred.” It wasn’t wrong. A coruscating 104 seconds of musical violence, it’s quite possibly as loud and brutal as TWIABP have ever been.   Though it might seem like a strange shift superficially, this move towards a heavier, more aggressive music actually fits the trajectory of the band’s constantly developing sound. Now a five-piece consisting of founding member Josh Cyr (bass), Steven Buttery (drums, percussion), David Bello (lead vocals), Chris Teti (guitar, vocals), and Katie Dvorak (vocals, keyboards) , TWIABP have always had a flair for the heavier side of things. It was just lurking in the background. Now, they’re now fully ready to embrace it and bring it to the forefront.