DISTEMPER from Moscow should be familiar to anyone who likes ska punk and has looked beyond the borders of this country.
DISTEMPER is one of the hardest-working bands when it comes to recording albums, but also when it comes to performing live. The guys are still as crazy as ever, traveling with their own bus from Russia to Germany to play here.
Since their founding in the pivotal year of 1989, DISTEMPER has released several splits and 15 albums. “All or Nothing“ is their latest effort. The record is being released on the Berlin label ANR-Records. ANR's releases are characterized not only by label head Ben's good taste in music but also by the fact that the items are always made with great care. For example, the new DISTEMPER logo is glued on as a patch on the digipack of “All or Nothing“. I haven't seen that before. It looks cool! The lyrics are printed completely in Russian and in English in the booklet, so you can easily read what the band has to say.
Although DISTEMPER has a new logo, now featuring a skull alongside the familiar dog, this does not mean that the band has changed.
On “All or Nothing“, there are eleven songs that all maintain the familiar style of DISTEMPER. Driving drums meet rough Russian vocals. This is accompanied by an enthusiastic brass section. The tempo and melody are perfectly balanced, making it always possible to think of a proper pogo dance. Anyone who has been to a DISTEMPER concert knows that it is anything but quiet. Wet clothes and complete exhaustion are just as much a part of it as a positive outlook on life. DISTEMPER still has this, despite the rule and repression that are the order of the day in Russia. Their lyrics are still political, socially critical, and observant, but almost always carry a positive underlying message. This gives DISTEMPER the courage to continue on their own path, no matter what comes. With “All or Nothing“, they have released another album that cements their exceptional status. I am already looking forward to the next concerts of the guys in Germany.
