Release Date: February 22nd, 2011
Reviewed by Evelyn Miska Krieger
If your only exposure to Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (D.R.U.G.S.) is their single “Sex Life” which is getting a fair bit of radio play right now, you might be hesitant to investigate their debut album. The relief is, that despite the rather nonsensical chorus on “Sex Life,” the album as a whole has a fair bit going for it. Made up of bits and pieces of other bands such as Chiodos, Matchbook Romance and From First to Last, the album has a crisp sound that ranges from slightly pop-oriented to screamo.
“If You Think This Song Is About You, It Probably Is” begins with some frantic guitar riffs alternating with Craig Owens’ vocals but it quickly segues into a relatively melodic chorus. The song adds layers as it develops and finds a good balance between hardcore and accessible. It isn’t hard to imagine this track on the radio and it might be a better sample of what the band is capable of than “Sex Life.” “Graveyard Dancing” is a little slower but that thread of melancholy remains. Drummer Aaron Stern pushes things along but every piece fits together properly.
For listeners that want things on the continuum closer to pop, “I’m Here To Take The Sky” accomplishes that. While it’s an ok song, D.R.U.G.S. does a bit better on the songs that allow more of their angst to surface. “Laminated E.T. Animal” is one of those that achieves middle ground. It has more edge than “Laminated E.T. Animal” but isn’t so far off in left-field as to scare off any fans that followed the members from other bands. Occasionally, Owens seems to channel Adam Lazzara (Taking Back Sunday) but that isn’t exactly a bad thing.
For some, this album is going to be a pleasant surprise as they offer more range than one might expect just from “Sex Life.” One has to wonder why that song ended up being the first single as there are a number of others that are far superior and give a much better sense of what Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows is about.
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