Band:	The Distorting Glass
Album:	The Germ.
Style:	Electro rock
Release date:	April 21, 2013
A review by:	BitterCOld

01. The Germ.
02. Variance.
03. Kilomètre Zéro.
04. The City That Always Sleeps.
05. Clockworks.
06. Fear and Wonder.

For starters, The Distorting Glass are not a metal band. Nope. Nosirree Bob.

So why am I reviewing them on a metal site?

Well, they fall under that "music that might be of interest to metal fans" clause that we've used in the past. One of the members of The Distorting Glass, Tom Granica, was formerly with Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster, a band whose last release was found by many on this site to be an utterly fantastic post-metal release.

So what, exactly, are The Distorting Glass? I'm not entirely sure myself, to be honest. They have dubbed themselves a "heavy art rock" band. Ok, I can get behind that. It's not particularly post-rock, not straight forward rawk a la Clutch, nor some overly-pretentious art rock band that makes me want to start smashing band members err things with a claw hammer.

They are, at their core, a rock band with some talented musicians who embellish tracks in a manner not particularly similar to more radio-friendly acts. Quieter moments that might have drawn themselves from the post-world, some little flourishes of their instruments, intricate soli and some excellent drumming, all topped off with some great clean vocals.

"Variance", the first proper track after the opener is a bit more upbeat, with an underlying urgency in the verse which carries through in the chorus, which you can conveniently check out here in video format.

Other tracks, like "The City That Always Sleeps" are particularly low key, still showcasing some musical chops without kicking into overdrive and upsetting the mood.
My favorite track, "Clockworks" follows up the mellow by kicking back to a degree of urgency a notch or two beyond the opener.

Perhaps one of the more enjoyable features of the album is how they walk a line? skilled musicians, there are lots of little things surfacing and subsiding. Runs here, fills there, but at no point does it either seem slow and predictable, nor overly busy.

Not for all metalheads, but if you liked the TNBD album I reviewed and enjoy some modern rock as viewed through distorting glass, well, The Germ is worth checking out.

Bandcamp