The Distillers
Coral Fang

THE REVIEW

Concentrated Energy

For more than four years, The Distillers have been on the punk-rock path, and now this band, in its third incarnation, comes out with CORAL FANG, a work that firstly confirms an absolute certainty: singer Brody Dalle has immense talent! This Australian singer with lungs of steel is the band's sole composer and also the only remaining member of the original core. "She's the boss." Brody might be the most explosive rock-woman of the moment. After living intensely for twenty-five years, she has taken control of her destiny, breaking away from the past: she signed with a major label (Warner), divorced her husband Tim Armstrong of Rancid, and publicly got involved with Josh Homme of QOTSA.

A personal revolution, followed by this discographic rebirth. Her music has nevertheless remained tenaciously punk, at least as far as the first three tracks of the new album are concerned: the opening Drain The Blood, the Californian Dismantle Me, and the irresistible Die On A Rope. However, starting from the fourth track, the sound direction slightly shifts to more sonic frequencies: the astounding The Gallon Is God will be a surprise for the more radical fans who will hear echoes reminiscent of Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey, in the form of an intense, fierce, and mature Brody.
The following title track reassesses the eardrums with frantic punk-hardcore spins, leading to another surprise, The Hunger: after an acoustic intro, an impressive liberating scream kicks in, heavy guitars, and then melody, and more melody... grunge? Then again an inhuman scream, heavy guitars, drums in the foreground, and once again that Nirvana-esque melody... wow!

In this record, Brody has played with some cornerstones of '90s music with such mastery as to overshadow some more experienced colleagues. Demonstration? Listen to Hall Of Mirrors, a substantial track that literally makes the best of Courtney Love pale (to whom Brody has always been compared). Fluency, rock'n'roll, a sharp and dynamic voice: Hole-sound, yes, but interpreted much, much better. The rest of the album remains tonic and powerful. I also mention the cathartic Death Sex, a teasing title for an almost thirteen-minute piece that alternates a beastly speed-punk drive with ghostly free sonic digressions.

Brody's voice and guitar are accompanied by a supreme band (the excellent drummer Andy Granelli, bassist Ryan Sinn, and the "new entry" Tony Bradley on the second guitar), and they have benefited from more than worthy production (Gil Norton), as well as fabulous recording (Jon Dunne, and mastering by Howie Weinberg). The cover art by Tim Presley is irreverent enough... what more can be said?

...that the future of rock is Woman.