More than ten years on since debut album ‘D.R.U.G.S.’ took the world by storm and, well, a lot has changed in the world. The failure to follow up on their debut outing always felt like a huge missed opportunity – so the biggest question surrounding their long-anticipated second release is, “Has it been too long?” Has the passing of over a decade decayed the momentum of Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows?
Well, Craig Owens has finally returned with the aptly named ‘Destroy Rebuild’ – which is exactly what he’s done with the band. Now consisting of himself, Jona Weinhofen (Formerly I Killed The Prom Queen and Bring Me The Horizon), Aaron Patrick (formerly All That Remains) and Aaron Stechauner, it would be understandable to wonder if D.R.U.G.S. are anywhere near similar to the same band as that which gave us the exciting debut featuring hit singles ‘If You Think This Song Is About You, It Probably Is’ and ‘Sex Life’ – but that question evaporates really rather quickly as ‘Destroy Rebuild’ reaches boiling point in an instant.
Even 30 seconds in, there’s no doubt where the roots are laid for ‘Destroy Rebuild’ as Owens’ inimitable vocals teleport us right back to the debut with hints of ‘Mr Owl Ate My Metal Worm’ as ‘DESTINY’ provides everything you’d expect from Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows – and that nostalgia is eclipsed by ‘Satellites In Motion’, which wouldn’t have sounded out of place on the band’s debut. Nor would ‘Brighter Side’, ‘(Are we not drawn onward to) NEW ERA’, ‘Gravity (My Ever Ghost)’, ‘Waiting On You’ or ‘The Arm’ which collectively inject everything we’ve missed from D.R.U.G.S. over the past ten years.
‘Destroy Rebuild’ isn’t just a throwaway dose of nostalgia, though, with plenty of exploration clear for all to see with electro-ballad ‘GOLD’ which, oddly, almost gives off Rasmus vibes at a few points as the band veer down the pop route while not losing what endeared us all to them in the first place. In fact, if given the appropriate platform, ‘GOLD’ has all the makings of a hit single that could even eclipse the band’s previous work while ‘What’s the Code for Heaven’s Gate?’ follows a similar vein and sounds almost Placebo-esque in parts.
‘Outcasts VS Everyone’, though, may just be the most unconventional song on the album as Owens teams up with Brennan Savage on vocals for the powerful, almost nu-metal sounding track that’s likely to be the most polarising on the album purely due to how much of a departure it is from the rest of the release. That said, alongside ‘GOLD’ and the incredibly honest and authentic ‘The Longest Road’, the band embracing a more contemporary, melodic style and integrating it with the high-tempo, aggressive energy we’ve come to expect adds a refreshing balance to the album – and gives us the slightest hint that there may not be such a long wait between now and a potential third release as this feels equally as much of a new chapter opening as it does some sort of closure.
‘Supercalifragilisticexistentialcrisis’ may not be the easiest of song titles to type, or say out loud, it’s definitely no chore to listen to and is one of the standout tracks on an incredibly versatile album which holds true to every value existing and remaining D.R.U.G.S. fans love about the band – while epitomising the precise uniqueness that left a void when the band prematurely called it quits in 2012. While the band may have had to rebuild in terms of personnel, the album title becomes slightly less fitting after one listen to ‘Destroy Rebuild’ as D.R.U.G.S. haven’t destroyed anything here in order to have to rebuild.
In fact, arguably the biggest compliment you could give ‘Destroy Rebuild’ is that it’s everything any D.R.U.G.S. fan has been waiting all this time for and, even ten years on, it’s worth the wait and absolutely does not disappoint in any way, shape or form. Since their first outing, much of the rest of the world may be vastly unrecognisable, but the foundations Craig Owens built with Matt Good et al in 2010 are still standing strong, and ‘Destroy Rebuild’ adds a whole new storey to the already intriguing D.R.U.G.S. story.
GARY CASSIDY