Single Review: Destruction Unit-Two Strong Hits

I have seen Destruction Unit three times within the last year, twice during Chaos in Tejas alone. Every time I saw them it was one of the best and craziest shows I had ever seen, the five band members going channeling dark, twisted, and unbelievably noisy music out of their instruments, all to soundtrack the madness they crafted on stage. However, it was always a wonder if they would be able to present any of that energy and sprawl in a record form, if it would even be possible. And while those were my thoughts going into their brand new single, after listening to the songs on Two Strong Hits, I can only laugh now at how idiotic that notion was.

“Sonic Pearl” is so many things at once it’s hard not believe that the track wasn’t created by ten different songs by the band accidently melting on top of each other to into one molten puddle. Manic post-punk energy somehow crafted from art-damaged psychedelic guitars that unwind and sprawl through the song like tentacles, crawling into every cravas of the song. Ryan Rousseau’s vocals come in at the most subdued I’ve ever heard them, nervous yet almost cooing and melodic as a contrast to the increasing whirlwind of noise behind him. That is before it all becomes too much and the song just collapses into an even more off-kilter mode, Rousseau’s vocals, now tinted by madness to better reflect the shift in tone, at the center. Yet it needs to be noted that, despite how absolutely chaotic “Sonic Pearl” it also happens to be one of the most memorizing songs I’ve heard this year. Buried beneath all the chaos, the songs some unbelievably, if obtuse, hooks embedded in it, the glue that not only keeps “Sonic Pearl” together (if you could say that), but makes it so great.

B-side “Nightfall” is more in tradition with the Destruction Unit I’ve experienced live, the dark, tension building beast that protrudes an inescapable evil sense through the song. The tracks sinister opening guitars squeaks and thunderous drumming give way quickly the tracks real sound, a vortex of warped guitars fuzz collapsing on top of itself, Rousseau’s vocals now containing a sort of demented clarity to them as the track spirals further and further down. The lo-fi, or at least muffled production on the track helps to separate it from “Sonic Pearl” so that is has its own personal sense of darkness. The two are dark though, damaged things spawned from damaged minds channeling something not right through a marriage of psych and noise, with punk energy as their fuel. And you know what, it makes for one of the best singles I’ve heard all year.



Links:

Destruction Unit's Site
Buy the Two Strong Hits 7" here, from Suicide Squeeze Records