THE DISTILLERS
Coral Fang (Sire/Hellcat)
Reviewed by Alan Wright

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Brody Dalle (nee Armstrong) is the sole remaining member from 1999, when the Distillers first formed. Along with a change in band members, this CD also marks the first for a major label, a first for her since separating from husband Tim Armstrong of Rancid fame, and a first using a big-time producer, Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters, Echo and the Bunnymen, etc.). Those familiar with the first two Distillers albums, both great examples of raging hardcore punk, may be taken aback with this new one. Dalle's vocal style has undergone a change towards the more melodic, though much of her trademark horse style is still here. The songs, for the most part, are more mid-tempo, more poppy, catchier, but still retaining a great amount of darkness. The music, while certainly slicker than the two Hellcat releases, is still really engaging. While many have compared her to a certain Courtney Love, I don't see it so much. To me, she sounds uncannily like the late Mia Zapata of the Gits, especially in the way she can seemingly go from a banshee howl to a sugary sweet voice, as she does on the title track. Some songs, like "Gallow Of God," though, certainly bear the influence of Nirvana in so much that it could almost be an "In Utero" outtake with her voice grafted on. Ditto for "Death Sex," the album's closer, which devolves into a screaming, distortion fest not unlike Nirvana's "Endless, Nameless." "The Hunger" also owes a lot to Cobain and Company with its delicate acoustic guitar intro before lurching into one those quiet/loud/quiet songs they were known for. "Beat Your Heart Out" (not the Zeros' song) is the pick-hit here, and sure to garner the band some radio airplay.

© 2004 - Alan Wright