Local Review: Olympic Deth — Peace Album

Olympic Deth
Peace Album
Big Shed Records & HUNDRED DOLLAR GLOBAL
Street: 01.29.2026
Olympic Deth = They Are Gutting a Body of Water + YHWH Nailgun + Girlfriends

There’s something magical for me about finding new music that pushes boundaries. I love when my expectations are challenged by songwriting that isn’t afraid to be unique and surprising. It’s even more special when I come across music like this here in Utah! I feel proud of our local scene when I see people making music that is every bit as fresh and exciting as anything from outside of the state. Utah’s own Olympic Deth does just that on Peace Album, which has already secured a spot on my eventual “favorite albums of 2026” list.

This fascinating album will take you on a journey through different genres, moods and time signatures, occasionally all within the same song. These frequent shifts are held together by distinctive production that makes each song belong with the others, regardless of how much they might differ from each other.

Peace Album is difficult to describe through comparisons to other bands or genres, and I honestly think it would be a bit of a disservice to Olympic Deth to try and overly define the sound of this album. The songwriting is clearly drawing from a bunch of different influences, and the stylistic variety on this record seems to be part of the point. To me, Peace Album sounds like the work of someone who has the confidence and skill to follow whatever musical impulse excites them, regardless of genre.

Although I won’t try to create any labels for this album, I will talk about moments that remind me of other bands or genres. Most immediately, there are obvious punk and garage rock influences throughout the album that you can find on songs like “Tesseract.” In a similar vein, “Nice Haul,” “Diamond Dozen” and “Oklahoma PEACE” show off interweaving and math-y guitar lines that I sometimes hear in current post-punk music.

However, there are a few big outliers on the album. The first track, “Rehab for Weed,” uses subtle ambient elements to quietly introduce the record. This peaceful introduction is quickly interrupted by “The Guitar,” which brings in an aggressive, metallic snare that would fit right in on a hardcore project. “Hahaha Unlimited” even includes some distorted screaming vocals near the end of the track.

“Ada County,” another outlier, sounds like what some people have described as “utopian scholastic,” which refers to music that is reminiscent of the sound and aesthetics of late ‘90s/early 2000s edutainment videos. “Five Thirty One” is a folksy acoustic song unlike any track on the album, but it somehow feels natural next to the louder songs. Most of the songs on the album are powered by driving (and sometimes delightfully frenetic) drums, which are contrasted nicely by the softer tracks. These outliers seem to function almost like interludes, breaking up the heavier tracks to create a satisfying pace for the album.

The sampling on “Tempe Hustle” reminds me of an experimental hip-hop beat, and I can’t shake the idea that I’m hearing bits of the production styles of electronic projects like early Four Tet or Caribou sprinkled around this album. “Dog Valley,” my personal favorite off of this record, is built on a stumbling programmed drum loop and a persistent beeping sound. The track then builds a gorgeous and emotive song over that loop in a way that reminds me of Gorillaz around the time of Plastic Beach.

The chord progressions in “Guy Cut In Half” and the verses of “Trout Mask Replica On Accident” remind me of Thundercat, especially when combined with the unique vocal harmonies on the latter track. The vocal melodies on Peace Album are often a little unexpected, but they end up scratching an itch for me in a way that is so satisfying. I’ve found myself singing along more and more each time I listen.

In short, Peace Album has a little bit of everything. There aren’t many albums I’ve heard recently that have such a unique and recognizable voice, which is even more impressive to me because of how many sounds needed to be wrangled to create this cohesive final product. This album feels like a celebration of creativity, and it inspires me to be more comfortable following creative instincts rather than staying within self-imposed boundaries.

If you’re looking for an album that holds a well-curated surprise around every turn, give Peace Album a spin! —Jacob Huff

Read more local album reviews in SLUG:
Local Review: Jr. Detective — Stranger Friend
Local Review: Shrimp Parade — Ribcage