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 six-piece consisting of founding member Josh Cyr (bass), Steven Buttery (drums, percussion), David Bello (lead vocals), Chris Teti (guitar, vocals), Katie Dvorak (vocals, keyboards) and Anthony Gesa (guitar, vocals), 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.