Freebutt, 11th October 2008

One of the more recent additions to that popular boy’s club known to many by the much over-used “post-rock” label, This Will Destroy You make the listener a grand promise before a single note is played. Their moniker states a bold claim for the Texan band to live up to, but anyone who heard their satisfying debut “Young Mountain” would understand why tonight the Freebutt is rammed full of expectant ears and hopeful hearts.

Fellow Lone Star State-rs’ Mom set the mood perfectly with their folksy treated cello, violin and stuttering micro-beats, sounding not unlike their similarly named Icelandic peers. It’s an intriguing brew and their set suggests further investigation in more homely surroundings would definitely be rewarding.

Though not especially breaking any new ground, This Will Destroy You’s beautifully measured guitar work, straightforward approach and obvious passion strike a chord within. There’s no denying the visceral power they generate and it’s hypnotic from the beginning, evolving over the course of an hour with subtle changes and gradual layering that somewhat inevitably end in a brain-melting cacophony of glorious distortion. You’ve heard it all before but still it manages to retain that elusive element of attraction that cannot easily be explained with words alone.

Ploughing such a well-trodden path could be perceived as an unwillingness to attempt more original ideas, however, and they refuse to deviate from the start-quiet-and-build-to-epic-ending formula so beloved of their oeuvre. And perhaps therein lies a problem. Bands that allow themselves to become the stereotype, rather than taking it as a base to build upon further will surely run out of steam and end up repeating themselves. This Will Destroy You clearly have the talent to progress, they just might need to take a step back from their comfortable genre traits once in a while.

Words by Jody White
Photography by Faye Perriam