Distant Welcomes the Fall in "Nothing Left to Hate"
Band Photo Credit: Salem Vex @sv.rec on Instagram
DISTANT, a Netherlands Dutch/Slovakian deathcore band bringing some of the heaviest riffs and guttural breakdowns, has returned with a wicked new single, “Nothing Left to Hate”. Following the successful release of their last album, "Desolation" in October, the band is back and zeroing in on one of the most devastating life lessons: No one can truly save you but yourself.
“Nothing Left to Hate” offers lyrics that speak to personal accountability. The resolutions broken, opportunities destroyed, the promises never kept. When it comes down to what can really fix you, at a certain point, it’s up to you to want to be fixed. The song brings into focus the fact that sometimes the greatest enemy to our progress is ourselves. Alan Grnja delivers this outcry utilizing a thrilling combination of growls, screeches, and squeals. René Gerbrandij goes absolutely wild on the drums from the opening to the end. He carries the song with a vicious death roll tempo. The entire song is heavy, like the crushing weight of past mistakes pressing down on you. A lot of that pressure comes from the intense bassline Elmer Maurits chugs out. The constant wailing and spiraling guitar from Nouri Yetgin keeps the track varied and exciting. “Nothing Left to Hate” overall feels like a breakdown set to a mental breakdown, and the musical version is powerful. It almost sneaks up on you in the middle of the song. Right after the more upbeat two-step energy, it bears down on you. Hitting a marching beat before the guitar and bass come in, and the band rains down with seemingly endless intensity. DISTANT closes out this confession not with a whisper but a violent scream.
The choice to make a relatively simple music video for “Nothing Left to Hate” is a genius one. The dark atmosphere closes in on you, with the only light being on the band's logo and the crowd. The on-screen lyrics and editing give a really classic early YouTube video sensation. With the focus shifting between the band and the crowd, it's nice seeing some fans get a spot to show off their moves. There's a degree of intimacy about the video since it’s so close-knit. It shows exactly what this music community bonds over, having someone articulate those feelings that some of us can't put words to, while offering a space to truly let loose. That physical release that comes from moshing is given the attention it deserves. The video really shows DISTANT's understanding of the scene and their connection to it. There's a down-to-earth aspect to it, and despite the nature of the song, a degree of love and connection in there too.
DISTANT hasn’t been lying around since their album release. For the past two months, the band was on board the Evisceratour with Ingested and Ov Sulfur in the USA and Canada alongside their own Dutch Xmas Special with Cabal and local supports Sugar Spine, Deeproot, Reformist, and Sapphyr to help their native scene. Now, the band is set to depart on another massive tour with Sylosis across the EU tour starting January 16.
