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DISTRESS by: Jonathan Mariante |
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Distress are a duo from
France consisting of Phillipe Miralles on vocals, guitar, and bass,
and Laurent Haas on drums and "backing screams". Both play keys. Their
style is progressive rock/metal that is influenced by both Dream Theatre
and Black Sabbath. They play Sabbath-style, funeral-march type music,
slow paced and somber with crunchy guitar riffs, but combine this with
the sophistication, technicality, and panache of Dream Theatre. All
the songs are about pain and suffering, in one form or another. One
could say this band lives up to its name, as they are always singing
about people in distress. All the songs are relatively slow-paced and
somber. Phillipe sings in his deep, dark, brooding voice, sometimes
sounding like James Hetfield of Metallica, sometimes verging on a death
metal style, always sounding like he's in pain. There are a few songs
where they let loose and rock out; "My Kingdom", "Dreamlike Sympathy",
and "Fallen Bloodlight". Then there's the closing track, "Last Remembrance".
This one's a longie, clocking in at 11:27, and shifting gears throughout
the song. It starts off mid-paced, slows down, thrashes out, and ends
with a piano outro, sort of like the one on Faith No More's "Epic".
An interesting tune, if a bit long. All in all, these guys are a talented
pair. They play and write very well. Their style is sophisticated and
unique. My only complaint is that every song deals with a depressing
topic. A bright spot here or there wouldn't hurt. Aside from that, however,
this was an enjoyable album.
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