Album Review: League Of Distortion - League Of Distortion

I'm not entirely sure what a League Of Distortion is supposed to be. It's an odd phrase, and what it brings to my mind is something akin to second-wave black metal, music awash in so much noise it sounds entirely dedicated to making the listeners uncomfortable at every turn. What I don't expect is an Amaranthe-ian modern metal band that is actually quite slick. The name doesn't seem to fit at all, and it also doesn't roll off the tongue. I know I'm getting into pointless semantics, but they aren't really pointless. A band's name can help or hurt their chances, and my very first impression here is that I wouldn't have even listened to this album, if not for seeing something in the press copy that caught my attention.

This band features the vocal talents of Anna Brunner, who was part of the metal covers band Exit Eden. I enjoyed their symphonic metal take on some pop classics when their album came out, and her name is what convinced me a so-called League Of Distortion was worth listening to.

Anna is clearly the star of this show, with a voice that produces effortless power, as well as a coating of... well, distortion. The grit in her aggressive voice does fit the bill, and it gives the songs enough attitude to sand the polish off some of the production. She also is able to produce that grit in a way that sounds natural and pleasing, unlike at least one more prominent singer I have always been alone in saying sounds entirely fake and strained trying to achieve this same effect.

I mentioned Amaranthe already, but I think the more apt comparison here is actually New Year's Day. Their "Unbreakable" album is very much in the same mold as what League Of Distortion is doing here, from the gritty vocals, to the huge choruses, to the modern riffs and electronic glitches. Thinking about this record more as a super heavy alt-rock record, rather than as the metal album it's presented as, sets a better bar for it to be judged by. The parts of verses that are almost spoken word, or carry rhythmic cadences that are anything but metal, are the biggest hurdle we have to clear.

The band has focused on writing big hooks, and they deliver those. "It Hurts So Good" is utterly fantastic when the chorus comes along, and Anna roars out these melodies like her life depends on it. If you clip out the choruses and just listen to those, League Of Distortion is quite the impressive band.

Unfortunately, there's plenty of rope we have to pull before we get to those bits. The grinding riffs and the verse vocals are often grating, unpleasant, and not worth sitting through if the payoff isn't good enough. That's a tough way to write songs, since when one comes up short, like "I'm A Bitch" does, the end result is a song I would say shouldn't have even been recorded. I truly don't see what is supposed to be appealing about it at all. The riff is boring, and there's practically no melody to the song at all. Other than an attempt to take the word back, there's nothing in the song for any of us. And frankly, Meredith Brooks did it infinitely better twenty-five years ago. We already have the definitive "Bitch" song.

So what that means is we have yet another album that shows tremendous promise, but failed execution. Anna can absolutely be a star vocalist, and there are enough powerful hooks in these songs to make a great record. If they can tighten up the songwriting, and focus on the more musical parts where they excel, League Of Distortion could be something really great. This album, though, is far from that. It doesn't know how to make the heavier and moodier bits work, and with as much of the record that's made up of that sound, recommending the record as a whole is a tall order.

I would certainly recommend "It Hurts So Good" as one of the better songs of the year, but you can wait to see if the next album improves things, otherwise.