Review by Rachel Jablonski
Ah, the power of promo.
A small, ovular logo randomly sent to me, now buried on a shelving unit largely infested with band stickers, has been overlooked for months. Apparently the name has stuck with more than just the cabinet door however. When the 4-song sampler appeared to be reviewed recently, compelled by the familiarity of name, I jumped at the chance to add audio to this mystery called Distilled.
First impression: Heavy foundation, steady rhythm, attempted vocal variation, but nothing at all earth shattering to grasp.
“Rise” begins with an unavoidable scream soon revealing two vocalists overtop a simplistic rock-driven riff. The vocalists attempt to sing, scream, rap, and harmonize at times better than others. The desired mood tends to feel rather forced thereby lacking sincerity and emotion.
“Everyday” is another story however. Whereas “Rise” seems to be missing heart, the candor of the second track is nearly inescapable. The song begins with a soothing riff that easily overtakes concentration. Rap vocal styling quickly breaks in keeping with the rhythm and examining past mistake. The chorus is a definite hook that freely gets stuck in my head. There is innocence about the song that is somewhat compelling and easy to appreciate. Screams are more appropriately placed and each element of the song comes together sufficiently.
Soft vocals accompany heavy bass and Latin sounding guitars in the beginning of “Deception.” A contrasting burst of heavy guitar soon accompanies harsh vocals thereafter alternating with the Latin riff. The instrumentation is rather enjoyable and distinctive. However, as the song progresses, the continuous use of vocals begins to feel out of place, sometimes needlessly overpowering the instruments and producing little effect.
“Dimm” comes in with a bland beginning consisting of a heavy repeated guitar riff and attempted harmony. Once again the chorus is somewhat catchy, but it doesn’t add enough to revitalize the song. The end of the song comes so abruptly I’m left thinking, “That’s it?”
Overall, despite a few catchy hooks definitely present particularly in “Everyday,” I was not able to lose myself in the music. Wondering about the audio behind the sticker on my cabinet door for quite some time, my first encounter with Distilled did not leave me much satisfied.