Review Summary: Some things never change...
Craig Owens. The man is loved and hated, praised for the polarizing Chiodos debut, yet also accused of screwing up everything he put his hands on. After being kicked out of his previous band, Owens kept busy, and formed the post-hardcore supergroup Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, or D.R.U.G.S. In comparison to albums like
All’s Well That Ends Well, the self-titled was poppier, less atmospheric, and just felt more “mainstream”. However, though it doesn’t compare to early Chiodos material, it’s still decent material.
As you can probably guess, Owens is the primary ringleader, and he’s a strong vocalist. Whether he’s clearly reaching into his higher range or occasionally relying on harsh vocals, the man is a more than capable frontman, and shows much improvement since his early days. As for the rest of the group, don’t quite count them out. Both lead guitarist Matt Good and rhythm guitarist Nick Martin are more than capable of crafting intricate yet strangely simple riffs and leads that occasionally take main stage (check out “Graveyard Dancing”, “Mr. Owl Ate My Metal Worm”, “Sex Life”, “I’m The Rehab You’re The Drugs” for examples). Good also takes the helm as the keyboardist/programmer for the multiple appearance of dubstep and synth, and though the dubstep/synth parts are fitting (verses of “Mr. Owl”, “I’m Here To Take The Sky”), actual keyboard parts only show up a few times. Drummer Aaron Stern pushes the pace throughout the heaviest track on the record, entitled “Stop Reading, Start Doing Pushups”. The balance between his double-bass pedaling and Owens’ enraged screams is palpable and intense, making this track a major standout. As for the bassist, it’s expected: his performance is barely audible, and not really worth it when you can hear it.
As for standouts, songs like “Graveyard Dancing” and “I’m Here To Take The Sky” reach back to the atmospheric, almost post-rock tendencies from AWTEW, and are fun romps into a musical fantasy full of happiness, betrayal, and angst. “The Hangman” and “The Only Thing You Talk About” both roar with a blazing punk energy, while “If You Think This Song Is About You, It Probably Is” is a fantastic way to open the album, and successfully blends an unusual tempo with sledgehammer guitar and soothing synth. On the heavier side, both “Mr. Owl Ate My Metal Worm” and “Stop Reading, Start Doing Pushups” manage to keep the music just intense enough to satisfy the casual heavy music lover, but melodic enough to keep a pop listener interested.
Lyrically, the album veers between eerily creative and downright immature. While the comparison of plagues to life trials and the wordplay involved is well done in a song like “Graveyard Dancing”, the accusations of a unfaithful partner whom is a “whore” grows old fast on songs like “Sex Life” and “The Only Thing You Talk About”. Fans who loved the strange wordplay on albums like AWTEW will be somewhat at a loss for most of this record.
Owens, Stern, Good, and Martin are more than capable of successfully displaying their talent, but the album becomes slightly too consistent towards the end. After one or two listens, it’s easy to grow bored fast, so this doesn’t have a huge replay value. In addition, the bassist could easily be giving more, especially due to the immense talent of the rest of the group. In addition, more lyrical maturity and thought put into the lyrics would’ve been appreciated, as much of the album sounds targeted for young teenagers.
Craig is now back with Chiodos, so I’m assuming that D.R.U.G.S. is finished. While I found this to be an enjoyable record, the band was definetly better to just do one album, because their greatest flaw was the ever-present consistency. If you can find it in a bargain bin or it’s for sale on ITunes, then by all means purchase it, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
