We have a band from Australia today, kids. The name of the band is DISTORTA and they released their debut EP Devil In The Dust with 5 tracks, produced and recorded independently. The band seems to be completely new in the scene as I had a little trouble finding information about them on the interwebs. The proposal seems to be traditional Heavy Metal with some touches of Metalcore. Let’s see if this is the case as, with so many labels for heavy music, I get lost with these brandings. The first track is “The Tomorrow People” and it seems that the brand is kind of  correct. The instrumental is basic Heavy Metal with a very screamed kind of vocal. One of the things in heavy music that does not appeal to me much, is songs with a heavy, almost guttural vocal, and melodic clean vocals mixed in the chorus.

You can see this on the second tune that names the album “Devil in the Dust”. They use that well known formula of question and answers in the vocal melody. I will explain what I mean. This is like making a conversation with one line being delivered with screamed vocals and the following line with clean and melodic vocal. Is like a conversation with one side aggressive and the other softer. It comes to mind bands like BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE. The third track is “Chasing Shadows” and you will notice that this bands consists of well seasoned musicians with creative guitar riffs by their 2 guitar players James Borges and Dom Davey. Not many guitar solos however, that in my opinion, leaves the song a little naked. You can find a little guitar solo duet on this one but nothing that will stick in your head like a great guitar solo would. The band also has a competent drum player in Chris Hanrahan that presents us with some double bass drum expertise in every track. “Bones” is next and for me is the best of the album so far. All songs are heavy and with not much frills or mood changes. The band also has a competent bass player in Dave Prodanovic but, as part of my issue with bass players from heavy bands, the bass sound gets a little lost in the mix since it follows the guitar riffs on the entire song. Please let the bass shine away from the guitars in some parts.

We end this EP with “Suffocate” that took the title of best of the album from the previous one. I like the new singer Dmitry Keremetskiy but I have to confess that to my ears, it gets a little too much of the same and I would expect a little more range on the vocal. I do not know if the singer also sings the clean parts, or this is done by somebody else in the band. The production of the album is solid and it was produced and recorded by the band and they have my respect for this as well. Overall, I like it and it is a solid work for a first release. I just think they could be better on the vocal melody lines. Bands like LAMB OF GOD are very heavy and with heavy vocals, but I can hear a vocal melody in their songs that I can remember. I am sure that their next work will add more elements and try new things as every good band should do.