Band: Destroy and Rebuild Until God Shows
Release: D.R.U.G.S (Self titled album)
I’ll be honest; I had very low expectations for this album. Mostly due to the fact, to put it politely, I’m not one of Craig Owens’ biggest fans. I’ve never really understood the appeal with him, especially in his previous band Chiodos, and on first listen it was hard to shake my low expectations. However the second time I listened to it, everything made sense, and what I actually found was one of the most promising debut albums in a long time.
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (abbreviated D.R.U.G.S) is the brain child of former Chiodos vocalist Craig Owens. After he was booted from Chiodos, Owens spawned the band which also includes Matt Good (From First To Last) on guitar, Nick Martin (Underminded) on Guitar, Adam Russell (Story Of The Year) and Aaron Stern (Matchbook Romance.) The band was formed in Late 2009/early 2010 and the hype surrounding this debut album has been off the chart.
Owens is a man who has been surrounded by a mountain of controversy, and whether you love him or hate him there’s no denying that this album is something special.
Opening track ‘If you think this song is about you’ (also the first track released by the band to the public) is a 2 and half minute jam packed post hardcore attack and tells you everything you need to know about this band. Mixing crushing riffs with massive dynamic shifts the track keeps the audience on their toes for the duration. Owens’ lyrics are as controversial and angry as you’d expect from a man with so many demons, with the lines ‘Be honest, did you even mention my name, did you get sick of the shame, did you lie on your back like a whore’ making for a catchy-as-hell chorus. The album carries on at full pelt into tracks ‘The only thing you talk about’ and ‘Graveyard Dancing’ which have clearly been inspired by Owens’ past in Chiodos.
The album has a much more accessible feel to it than any of Owens’ previous releases with other bands, clearly shown on track ‘Laminated E.T animal’ which is one of the catchiest tracks on the album. Whilst the songs on this album are incredibly well written, it’s the use of additional instruments and production techniques that really boost the albums appeal, every time you listen to each track you notice something new, keeping it constantly fresh. Just as the album starts to lose momentum ‘Stop Reading, Start Doing Pushups’ smashes you in the face. Easily the heaviest track on the album; it kicks off with intense riffs, and bursts into a high speed chorus, going full pelt from start to finish. ‘I’m the rehab you’re the drug’ is a clear candidate for a future single. It holds all of the best parts of the album, with the soaring guitar riffs, full on breakdowns, catchy chorus and clever production.
Listening to this album it is hard to believe that this band have only been together for such a short space of time. However ‘I’m here to take the sky’ lets the band down. If this track were on an album by the likes of ‘Boys Like Girls’ it would probably be the best track on the album. However on this album it seems to have no place, with its upbeat anthemic chorus, it’s catchy-as-hell, but is far too ‘pop punk’ for an album that is a perfect example of the angst-filled post hardcore that we’ve all come to love.
Luckily the last two tracks of the album (if you manage to get through ‘i’m here to take the sky’ that is ) are just as great as the rest of the album. The last track ‘My Swagga has a first name’ finishes the album off in perfect style, with a chorus that will easily insight crowd participation, it will easily become a live favourite.
Whilst this album is not perfect, it is one of the most promising debuts i’ve heard from a band in a long time, considering previous experience.
Reviewer: Liam Wood
