by Mely Duong

This Will Destroy You. A band name that started as a joke and reeked of intensity, but not flamboyant intensity. Instead, the intensity which this band provides is rather subtle, starting from the soothing instrumentals in the introduction. It’s all very unsuspecting for a new listener of the cinematic rock band, which originated from Texas in 2005. The songs then typically crescendo from a mellow rock vibe to a harder sound. The transition of which is all very smooth. It is a testament to their range and their dynamic capabilities in mastering their instruments of choice, with Jeremy Galindo on guitar, Christopher Royal King on guitar, Donovan Jones on bass guitar, keyboard, or Rhodes piano, and Alex Bhore on drums.

Of course, having been around for so long has allowed them to truly carve their niche and adapt to the changes in the music industry. “When we first started, physical copies were somewhat of a reality, so we took a lot of care (and still do) in the design of the albums. Now that most people are pirating our music, we put a lot of focus into our live performances in hopes that people will want to come see us again.”

Surely, the music industry has changed quite a bit since 2005 but the band has remained strong and steadfast despite a few minor lineup changes. One of the greatest things to observe in this band’s growth was the evolution of their sound, which was a little rougher around the edges back then. Now it has become more polished and seasoned but yet their emotional rawness has been enhanced through their expertise, which of course has also improved with the aid of new music gear.

“It’s surprising how easy it is to create when you give yourself new things to create with.” The band was also forced to redefine themselves as individuals, artists, and as a unit over the years, when all the members became a bit isolated and depressed. The issue, being that they were getting older and leading different lives from their friends.  They adjusted their lifestyle, grew up, gave up a few bad habits, and focused on being a better and healthier person, which has made a huge difference in terms of the band’s cohesiveness and stamina in this industry.

And although they classify themselves as a cinematic rock band, they refuse to pigeonhole themselves into that genre as they constantly challenge themselves to better themselves at their craft. They find too often that bands in the same genre release extremely similar albums repeatedly. This is certainly not the case with This Will Destroy. Every song is different in terms of melody and the stimulation of the auditory senses to create different visual images to accompany the song since there are no lyrics.

What distinguishes the band from all the other bands out there is their refined sense of melody, texture, and rhythm. “We make simple music with complex textures, and that in itself can change any sound.” Something else to note is that everyone in the band has equal composition duties. Inevitably, they have clashed over the melodies but they have always compromised. Providing everyone with the freedom to write their own parts, has become a strength of theirs as it allows the band to insightfully produce four vastly different creative angles.

Excitingly, This Will Destroy You released their new LP today, titled Another Language via Suicide Squeeze Records. Currently in the honeymoon phase, the band wouldn’t change a single thing off the LP and would recommend the song “Dustism” to start off with.  This LP is meant to embody the concept of searching through a series of labyrinths for a new, alien undiscovered form of communication that not only predates our own language but also post dates history.

“Principles of sacred geometry and eastern occult mysticism. Incognitum Hactenus- not known yet or nameless and without origin until now- is a mode of time in which the innermost mutations of the earth or ungraspable time scales can emerge according to chronological time. With the idea of Incognitum Hactenus,  you never know the pattern of emergence. Anything can happen for some strange reason; yet also, without any reason, nothing at all can happen. Things leak into each other according to a logic that does not belong to us and cannot be correlated to our chronological time.”

Well, certainly a hefty philosophical theme for one LP, so it’s a good thing that the LP leaves you in a rather contemplative mood. It’s not very easy to envision what the band has attempted to portray to the audience but the undercurrent tone is definitely there.

Over the next few months, This Will Destroy You will finish their European tour and start on an East Coast tour in the US. The band will be in Philadelphia on 11/1 at First Unitarian Church. Winter time will be spent relaxing and come spring, they hit the ground running and tour even more.  They hope to start working on new material after all that. They appreciate their fans and encourage them to come to their shows and check out their new album. To learn more about the band, visit their Facebook or Tumblr. 

by Mely Duong

This Will Destroy You. A band name that started as a joke and reeked of intensity, but not flamboyant intensity. Instead, the intensity which this band provides is rather subtle, starting from the soothing instrumentals in the introduction. It’s all very unsuspecting for a new listener of the cinematic rock band, which originated from Texas in 2005. The songs then typically crescendo from a mellow rock vibe to a harder sound. The transition of which is all very smooth. It is a testament to their range and their dynamic capabilities in mastering their instruments of choice, with Jeremy Galindo on guitar, Christopher Royal King on guitar, Donovan Jones on bass guitar, keyboard, or Rhodes piano, and Alex Bhore on drums.

Of course, having been around for so long has allowed them to truly carve their niche and adapt to the changes in the music industry. “When we first started, physical copies were somewhat of a reality, so we took a lot of care (and still do) in the design of the albums. Now that most people are pirating our music, we put a lot of focus into our live performances in hopes that people will want to come see us again.”

Surely, the music industry has changed quite a bit since 2005 but the band has remained strong and steadfast despite a few minor lineup changes. One of the greatest things to observe in this band’s growth was the evolution of their sound, which was a little rougher around the edges back then. Now it has become more polished and seasoned but yet their emotional rawness has been enhanced through their expertise, which of course has also improved with the aid of new music gear.

“It’s surprising how easy it is to create when you give yourself new things to create with.” The band was also forced to redefine themselves as individuals, artists, and as a unit over the years, when all the members became a bit isolated and depressed. The issue, being that they were getting older and leading different lives from their friends.  They adjusted their lifestyle, grew up, gave up a few bad habits, and focused on being a better and healthier person, which has made a huge difference in terms of the band’s cohesiveness and stamina in this industry.

And although they classify themselves as a cinematic rock band, they refuse to pigeonhole themselves into that genre as they constantly challenge themselves to better themselves at their craft. They find too often that bands in the same genre release extremely similar albums repeatedly. This is certainly not the case with This Will Destroy. Every song is different in terms of melody and the stimulation of the auditory senses to create different visual images to accompany the song since there are no lyrics.

What distinguishes the band from all the other bands out there is their refined sense of melody, texture, and rhythm. “We make simple music with complex textures, and that in itself can change any sound.” Something else to note is that everyone in the band has equal composition duties. Inevitably, they have clashed over the melodies but they have always compromised. Providing everyone with the freedom to write their own parts, has become a strength of theirs as it allows the band to insightfully produce four vastly different creative angles.

Excitingly, This Will Destroy You released their new LP today, titled Another Language via Suicide Squeeze Records. Currently in the honeymoon phase, the band wouldn’t change a single thing off the LP and would recommend the song “Dustism” to start off with.  This LP is meant to embody the concept of searching through a series of labyrinths for a new, alien undiscovered form of communication that not only predates our own language but also post dates history.

“Principles of sacred geometry and eastern occult mysticism. Incognitum Hactenus- not known yet or nameless and without origin until now- is a mode of time in which the innermost mutations of the earth or ungraspable time scales can emerge according to chronological time. With the idea of Incognitum Hactenus,  you never know the pattern of emergence. Anything can happen for some strange reason; yet also, without any reason, nothing at all can happen. Things leak into each other according to a logic that does not belong to us and cannot be correlated to our chronological time.”

Well, certainly a hefty philosophical theme for one LP, so it’s a good thing that the LP leaves you in a rather contemplative mood. It’s not very easy to envision what the band has attempted to portray to the audience but the undercurrent tone is definitely there.

Over the next few months, This Will Destroy You will finish their European tour and start on an East Coast tour in the US. The band will be in Philadelphia on 11/1 at First Unitarian Church. Winter time will be spent relaxing and come spring, they hit the ground running and tour even more.  They hope to start working on new material after all that. They appreciate their fans and encourage them to come to their shows and check out their new album. To learn more about the band, visit their Facebook or Tumblr.