I'm just going to come right out and say it, as a music teacher, and as a music fan, I've come to cherish hard-work and musicianship in the artists to whom I listen. I'm a little tired of lazy musicians getting massive amounts of attention for everything EXCEPT their music (that was the most "grandpa" I've ever gotten on this blog - sorry about that). So I was really happy, nay, extstatic when I came across the band Destroy the Planet, and their new album "Episode 1: Hungry for the Science."
Track number two is "Control" which is much more glam with guitar chugs and attitude-y vocals. This track still has a polish of refinement even though (and through) the punk-rock aspects. Exotic scales in the instrumental parts are super catchy. The growl of the vocals is a real treat. For fans of Marilyn Manson's "Mechanical Animals," this song will really land.
The next song is "I Think I Should Know," a much more ballad-song than the other two so far. The meandering vocal melody makes me think that it's somewhere between a folk tune and a chant; and to be honest, in a world full of three-note "bangers" topping the carts on Spotify and YouTube, hearing something that demands our attention is quite the relief. Overall, it's a lovely tune, and I'd be curious to hear an acoustic version if the guys ever get around to it.
The fourth song is "Reach" I would be curious to find out how many songwriters this band has - there is a signature syle to their sound, but every so often it goes in a direction that I wasn't expecting sonic-wise. With "Reach" we're back to a punk-rockey/glam sound, it almost reminds me of a party track, like a movie is playing and we're at the club scene while sexy girls walk around in revealing outfits, all the while the main characters make their way through the seedy underground with flashing blue and red lights obscuring the audience's eyes from nefarious goings-on.
Track number five is "Maggots," charming title aside, the guitar part is really catchy. I have to say the balance and cohesiveness of the rhythm section defy belief. While I stand by my comment of not being the biggest fan of "wailing tenors," it is really nice to hear the upper register of the singer on this track. The guitar solo in this one is wild, it's the perfect blend of pedal fx and virtuosic clarity. The chorus did a really good job of sticking in my head.
Next up is "The Worst," we're back to more of a ballad sound with this one. Once again, there is such a strong sense of melody in these slower tracks that I'm really enjoying. It's like Destroy the Planet is aware that the audience is capable of digesting complexity. Instead of condescension, we get comradery, and I really wish that more "mainstream" artists would pick up on this.
Then onto "Crawl," one thing I haven't really discussed in this review is the several music videos Destroy the Planet has on YouTube. For "Crawl, there is a rather compelling narrative of a runaway girl coping with a bug-infested hotel room (seemingly a subtle metaphor for drugs). It's kind of crazy that the actress had to lay there while insects were (undoubtedly) placed on her arm/face, but if that isn't a commitment to your craft, I don't know what is. The song also has a somewhat symphonic arc to the energy, which again, is something woefully absent from a lot of other music out there.
Song number eight is "Time." We're back to high-energy rock here. This is a nice break after "Crawl" which was fairly demanding on the ears to have a catchy riff-driven tune. Towards the end of the track, we have one of the coolest drum breaks I've heard since Nine Inch Nail's "Piggy." Kind of like in "Reach" I see this song in a film, maybe these guys should start submitting tracks to Spider-King, who knows it might work out well.
With track nine "Follow," we have a lovely departure from the rest of the album - like it's not just a ballad, but it's a ballad that's almost Broadway in its dramatic nature. Think "Rocky Horror" meets "Pippin" meets "Spring Awakening" but played by Destroy the Planet. "Follow" has a stunning evolution as a song, not quite the operatic quality of "Crawl," but very satisfying in its own right.
Next to last is "Enemy," the vocal attitude is definitely right for the title of this song - he sounds pretty ready to fight. It doesn't have the riff-in-your-face quality of "Time," but there's plenty for your ear to grab onto. The instrumental section of the track in and of itself deserves respect for navigating the space between noise and music expertise. There is more than a bit of IDAF style in here.
And last up is "Headlights." This is more or less what I was hoping for - I like albums to have a "journey" quality to them (meaning the story not the '70s'70s band). And with this track, I feel like the credits are rolling like we're headed off into the sunset. It's a medium-tempo tune that leaves us just wanting enough for "Episode 2."
As this was my first exposure to Destroy the Planet, I don't have much to compare it to. My sense is that these guys have been at it quite a while as evidenced by their musicianship. If you're a fan of rock, there is more than enough to enjoy in "Episode 1," in fact, I can't think of a single negative thing to say - I really enjoyed listening to this music on a Thursday afternoon while driving through the back roads of the town in which I live.
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