For a while now, the bass music scene has been buzzing about Destroid, a new collaboration between dubstep stars Excision and Downlink, and drummer KJ Sawka of Pendulum and Conspirator. It seemed almost too good to be true, and rumors swirled about a live show of monstrous proportions. The music is finally here, as Destroid’s debut full length, entitled The Invasion is set to release, and it lives up to the mountains of hype that have been building.
While you’d think having three talented musicians would be enough, ‘The Invasion’ is ripe with guest appearances throughout the entire album. Fans will immediately notice the Bassnectar contribution on the track ‘Put It Down’, with a hip hop influenced vibe that melds together the signature sounds of both Excision and Bassnectar as the song progresses. But there’s more – producers like Ajapai and Space Laces make appearances apparently bringing an extra doss of bass to the tracks. Frequent Excision collaborator Messinian also stops by, providing lyrics on the track ‘Flip The Switch.
Excision has said that he has been working on this project for several years, and it really shows. The tracks have a good flow to them, and the narration in the beginning create the feel of a concept album. There are definitely some highlights – the Downlink produced ‘Activation’ and the albums first three songs all stick out, but the whole album is brilliant throughout and there’s really no songs worth skipping.
As good as the album is, it leaves you wondering about the live show. Excision is known for pushing the boundaries of his live shows, and you can tell this album was made to be played live. There is plenty of room for KJ Sawka to let loose on the the drum kit, and each song is full of such energy that they could probably just go out and play the whole album from start to finish. The live show, which will debut this summer, will feature Sawka on a custom digital drum kit and Excision and Downlink playing custom MIDI guitars, which may revolutionize the way producers create their music in a live setting.
The Invasion will be released on May 7th, and you can catch Destroid’s live show at various festivals throughout the summer, including Camp Bisco. You can pre-order the album here.
Destroid – Raise Your Fist