Friday March 29th 2024

Distressor – “Hard To Kill”

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Distressor – “Hard To Kill”

 

You know, I was always warned about the “L” towns.

The three suburban towns out of Boston, ones you had to “watch your step in.”

I lived most of my early life in Hyde Park and Dorchester, so anyone warning me about anywhere else certainly impressed me.

And those towns were Lynn, Lowell and Lawrence.

I only mention this because a few weeks ago the band I reviewed, The Only Things, are from Lowell and this weeks band, Distressor, is from Lynn.

So maybe being from a rough place produces some rough music. I wouldn’t say that’s one hundred percent true, but I do know, I’d rather hear gangsta rap than some granola eating, laid-back California mush like The Eagles, Greatful Dead or Jefferson Starship.

And I know I like to hear the hardcore thrust and metal crunch of Distressor, ripping my bones apart, lacerating my ears, all the while smashing my soul into the pavement in smithereens.

When I reviewed their previous release I alluded to their hometown, saying they would be hardcore no matter what style of music they played. But I described them more as metal, one that “throws humongous slabs of molten sounds that are dropped on your ears from a high spot.”

Sounds painful to me, but also really good. Let’s check it out:

“End Of Days” starts with a nice hum of electronic feedback and is followed by some disturbing sampled sound bites. “I’ve got a gun, relinquished from somebody else.” But once the music kicks in we’re met with a doom-y, metallic guitar riff- sharpened like a knife, perfect for disemboweling your senses and a solid, headbanging beat sculptured like a foreboding monument. The death vocals by Susie Layhe are as intense and compelling as anyone coming from the weaker (male gender). “The pain has consumed all that I love, the pain is all I trust.” The song then turns into a thrash/hardcore romp that increases the excitement to warp speed. But once again we’re brought back to the intense, powerful groove of the beginning, and a great beginning of this EP.

“Pity Party” pops out with a rap-like hard hitting, headbanging rhythm while the vocals are already exhorting and relaying their theme of frustration. This metal tirade soon evolves into a hardcore stampede with the music going crazy. “Everyday a new complaint, but you never want to change, we have our own stress, done dealing with your bullshit.” This song ends with a slowed down, heavy doom-y coda- “We don’t feel bad for you, you just sound like a fool.” Though the last could easily refer to Slimedog, more likely it’s a song filled with anger and angst, pain and passion and succeeds beautifully.

With a tight, rolling drum beat only accompanied by vocals, “Nation On An Edge,” leads on. “How much closer can we get? The storm was brewing all along.” When the instruments come in, it’s like a roaring hurricane of sound full of passion and brutal intensity, tearing apart your expectations and your central nervous system. “Elect a man playing his wicked game, don’t cry now ‘cuz we’re all to blame.” Hmm, who could that possibly be? This is a strong, powerful metal song with great, hardcore vocals that is perfect. My favorite tune on the EP.

With a Sabbath like doom-y riff leading off “Price To Pay,” a melodic line answers accompanied by a slow, plodding beat. But soon the screaming, death-like vocals appear and the drums and guitars leap forward with fiery energy. “I’ve lost what’s close to me and I’ve just refused to see…stuck in my own way, days blend into other days. But this is the price I pay.” This song returns to a more heavy, headbanging part and a realization that songs like this, are priceless.

Some bands come from tough towns, but I think all of us come from rough emotional turmoil in some way.

And some realy gentle and sensitive people respond to music that is hard and brutal.

I want to change that “some” in that last line to “most” or at least, “a lot”- at least that’s been my experience.

This is music that is hard and course and emotional and true. This is hardcore mixed with metal with an attitude of punk. But this is also the music that expresses the frustration and pain of sensitive souls living in a cold, harsh, unfair world and this is their reaction, their reflection upon it.

Life tends to stomp on those souls, but some have the fortitude to keep going.

Can I change that last line to “most” instead of “some”, I believe that’s more correct.

And the music they play, the music they represent, is unbreakable, solid and true.

And like their spirit they can’t be crushed.

And this is Distressor.

(Slimedog)

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