Review: The Distorting Glass – The Germ
Artist: The Distorting Glass
Album: The Germ
Rating: 10/10
Doesn’t it always go that the bands impress you the most are those that don’t seem to have much of a following just yet? This is definitely the case for London’s The Distorting Glass. In fact, had it not been for Tom Granica, the band’s bassist, contacting me… there may have been a chance that I never would have discovered them at all! Needless to say, I’m glad I did. My first exposure to the band was their single, “Variance”. To put it simply, the video (which I have added below) is one of the more obscure I’ve seen in awhile. The vocals, which are usually what make or break a band for me, were what really drew me in. However, upon listening to “Variance” a few more times, I began to realize how technical and well-structured the arrangements of the instrumentals were. Another thing that I really liked was that I couldn’t find a band to compare them to! How often do we find something so original in a scene that is mostly overrun by the same old, regurgitated crap just tuned a bit differently?! After hearing that single, I knew that I would be interested in reviewing their debut EP, “The Germ”. I was in for a surprise… no 2 songs are alike. There’s another surprise… usually, you have a few songs on an album (or, in this case EP) that sound very similar. This was another thing that impressed me about this band.
The Germ is an excellent listening experience from front to back, no matter how many times you play it. It’s 28 minutes of purely amazing talent from one of the most amazing “Rock Art” bands I have heard this decade. There is no denying their talent, individually or collectively. When you’ve listened to all 6 tracks, you will find yourself instantly wanting more. Here’s the kicker: Usually, an EP that is longer than, say 15 or 20 minutes, begins to get stale and boring after awhile. However, this band has managed to create a 6 TRACK EP that is nearly as long as a typical LP… none of it boring. Tracks like “Variance” and ” offers the heavier portion of the band, (and the most adventurous, it seems). Tracks like “Kilomètre Zéro.” and “The City That Always Sleeps” offer a more mellow, almost euphoric journey through the psyche of vocalist Pablo Bellinghausen. Bellinghausen can make you feel any range of emotions with his incredible vocal stylings. From aggression to melody and everything in between, he is truly a master of his art.
One thing is quite clear, this band absolutely knows what they’re doing behind their respective instruments. I look forward to hearing a lot more from them and hope that this review excites you enough to pop over to their bandcamp (or iTunes) and pick up your very own copy of The Germ. Personally, I would love for a physical version to surface, I would buy it 100 times over if I could and show it to every one I know!
“Variance” (Official Music Video)
