Mac Lethal faces his demons on Winter Heartbreak II

Depression has a devastating impact on much of America’s population. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (51.5 million in 2019). This number was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued the world for well over a year now. Much of this is caused by a culture that promotes work first and relationships second. A backwards way to live life if happiness and the wellbeing of the population is important to the country as a whole.  

Well, in this depression filled fog, some artists still manage to find the inspiration and creativity to make meaningful art. Released on June 9, 2021, Mac Lethal returned with another fantastic album titled Winter Heartbreak II. The album is a dark and visceral dive into the deepest depths of one of Lethal’s most depressing years to date. It touches on his crumbling relationship, the fears of being a failure, and the process of aging in a world where time just doesn’t seem to slow down for anyone.  

The album opens with “The Therapist, a heart wrenching lyrical assault in which Lethal goes back and forth with his therapist on finding the purpose to live. “I was hoping you could help me stop obsessing ’bout the end of time/ All of my regrets and the mistakes I made/ Every single mountain that I didn’t climb/ And why the only time I feel this when I’m sniffing lines,” Lethal raps as he opens up the introspective conversation. 

“As you can hear from this album, I had a very difficult challenging last couple of years. And wanna tell you; therapy helped; communication helped. So, if you feel like your marriage or your relationship is absolutely dying, it’s not dead yet. Bring it back to life, work together, you can do it. We did it.” 

-Mac Lethal, “I Die Slow”

The themes of limited self-worth, suicidal thoughts and self-deprecation run rampant throughout the album’s entirety. Often these ideas come packaged in unique ways of combining vivid storytelling and Lethal’s signature rapid delivery and flow. The album is not for the faint of heart to say the least. But if you are a fan of lyricism, Lethal never fails to deliver. 

The Production on the album is varied and ear catching throughout. Much of the instrumentation caveats the dark and moody sunbject matter. Dreamy drumy kicks and smooth instumentation are at the forefront of much of the production. Giving space for the lyrcism of Lethal to take front stage and tell his story.Credits on the album feature industry veterans like Equilibrium and Strange Music affiliate Seven. 

On “Broken Hearted Women,” Lethal flips the narrative to the perspective of a hurt female, possibly his wife, who is fed up with the way her husband is treating her and begins to find comfort in the idea of another man. The thought-provoking subject matter continues as Lethal’s life spirals out of control and abruptly ends with the haunting chorus on “I Die Slow.” Lethal ends the song with the first glimmer of hope in the entire album as he plainly states, “As you can hear from this album, I had a very difficult challenging last couple of years. And wanna tell you; therapy helped; communication helped. So, if you feel like your marriage or your relationship is absolutely dying, it’s not dead yet. Bring it back to life, work together, you can do it. We did it.” 

This comes as a refreshing bit of news after the first 10 songs on the album leave the listener genuinely worried about the mental health of Lethal and the status of his marriage. Which just goes to show, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. And if you’re thinking something stupid like you’re ready to end your life,  take a listen to this album. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of company in hell and the hope for a better future. Don’t suffer in silence and reach out to your friends and family. Life is precious and Lethal has intricately captured the ups and downs of adulthood in every single aspect. 

If this is album sounds like something you may want to check out, look for the recently released deluxe version.  It features six bonus songs and and exclusive two part podcast discussing the album in depth. I look forward to more Mac Lethal releases in the future and wish him nothing but the best in the coming years.