REVIEW: The Distillers, The Distillers (Epitaph)
- David J. Klug
The Distillers are possessed with the original spirit of punk rock, and take energy and aggression to levels far beyond what most like-minded bands display on record today. This self-titled debut is a blowtorch of enthusiasm as the band cranks off 14 songs that never relent, including a blistering cover of Patti Smith's "Ask The Angels" and the standout original "Oldscratch." I suspect that the Hepcat label didn't ask that the band tone down their balls-to-the-wall two-guitar, bass and drums assault -- the tracks shoot from speakers with a spontaneity that much label or studio tweaking would have surrendered to anyway. Like the Lunachicks, who are an obvious reference point, the Distillers are loud, fast, rude and very talented. Fronted by singer/screamer Brody, an Australian formerly of Sourpuss, the band is rounded out by Rose "Casper" on guitar, Kim Chi on bass, and Mat Young (formerly of ADZ and CH3) on drums.
Here the Distillers present some of the freshest and rawest sounds I've heard in recent times, and this record is the kind of dirty rock monster that should crush just about anything waving a punk flag this year. The band has toured with X, The Dwarves, L.E.S. Stitches, and Rocket From The Crypt, among others and are on the national Punk-O-Rama tour now through June with Bouncing Souls, Dropkick Murphys, and the Dwarves.
