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The Distance

The Rise, the Fall, and Everything in Between
2006
Abacus

The Distance - The Rise, the Fall, and Everything in Between (Cover Artwork)

Review by: pastepunk
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Abacus Recordings (link)

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Published on June 30th 2006

The Rise, the Fall, and Everything in Between is a full-length made for the digital age. If you think the cover art is hideous looking (and woah, it certainly is!), purchase the music files and delete the cover art image. If you preferred the Distance of old (i.e. when they were undoubtedly an awesome hardcore band), delete or ignore the two or three tracks that inexplicably deviate into quasi-Good Charlotte territory. Everything is a boon for flexibility and customization. It's an album that is ripe for love it / hate it analysis, in turn, it's something that I just can't seem to entirely wrap my head around. The last album that had me this perplexed and frustrated was from Hazen St.... and we all know how well that project went.

Six of the ten songs on Everything are rip-roaring persuasions of melodic hardcore. For the most part, it's safe to say that these songs are catchy without being lame, and heavy enough to blend well into the band's early discography. By comparison, the other four songs are "Charlie Sheen in Major Leage" wild pitches. Not only out of the strike zone, but sitting somewhere between home and third. "Phase Two" is endemic of what the Distance are capable of writing when they want to sound downright furious and compelling. The Distance have all the right tools to write, fast, aggresive songs, but too often on Everything the temptation of the overt melodic hook gets the best of the band. The biggest offenders are "Inspired by You" (a track so alarmingly annoying that I thought it was a joke when I first heard it), and "Let It Rain," which features an `80s style cheeseball chorus gone askew -- oh my freakin' ears! The one song that seems to capture the duality of the Distance's new sound is "At Least I'm Good at Something," which includes guest vocals from the Used's lead singer, Bert McCracken. Here, the band doesn't try to shove an unwieldy melody down your throat and the strong guitar work gives it a pretty huge backbone to rely upon. "Broken Promises" has a hook that sounds like it was sugar-coated by Willy Wonka, but the song isn't short on intensity overall. The Distance are crankin' on the opener "The Set Up," and the ninth tune "Before It's Gone," but too much inconsistency in the band's direction obscures the impact of the better material.

I don't want to "breakup" with the Distance, but The Rise, the Fall, and Everything in Between seemingly creates a bit more space between my support for the band's past and their current state of being. Everything is a gamble and then some for the band, and to me, I'm not so sure it was worth the risk.

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Posted by crazytoledo on 2006-09-17 20:34:31

If you think the cover art is hideous looking (and woah, it certainly is!)

But that girl on the cover is hot. Why would I delete the cover art?

Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-07-03 22:51:58

Will, don't drag hazen st into this.
And PLEASE don't drag CIV into this.
If anything, this band just did a No Warning.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 3, 2006 at 10:47 PM (EDT)

Suck.

Posted by WilliamMarinovic on 2006-07-03 17:50:10

"Theyre trying to get a bigger crowed and unfortanatly they do have to change the sound a bit to do that. Its working for them, is it not?"

Remember when the Hazen St CD came out and everyone was like "they've payed their dues, I support this move"?

I totally don't understand this line of thinking. It's not your job as a fan to blindly follow a band's sellout effort like this record...

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 3, 2006 at 1:37 AM (EDT)

That girl looks like "they all just fucked me, came inside me and now they are with some other girl....I feel so used!" hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Posted by stratash on 2006-07-02 22:47:44
My Score:

Its true, there are quite a few popish songs on the record, and its definitely noticably different compared to the old "more hardcore" sound, but its good. Theyre trying to get a bigger crowed and unfortanatly they do have to change the sound a bit to do that. Its working for them, is it not? And theyre really great guys, so i support their new album 100%

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 2, 2006 at 8:00 PM (EDT)

unless he produced that turd bomb of an album in addition to the good CIV album, that's where the comparison was pointing...

I see.

Well, since you were talking about Civ, I thought you were talking about their good record. Considering barely anyone (Myself included) acknowledge "13 Day Getaway".

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 2, 2006 at 12:42 PM (EDT)
My Score:

The Album Cover does suck but the chick is hawt.

Posted by rkl on 2006-07-02 04:24:54

i dont generally like to go off topic, but its notlike this record warrants any actual discussion.

im confused, kirbypuckett. shouldnt you be hyping joe mauer?

but dont give up hope, my team(the white sox) were pretty much worthless for 10 years(hello, dan pasqua!). a return to dominance is posible.
and id really like to see oliver perez get his shit back on track as i have him in my keeper league.

Posted by dazed on 2006-07-01 20:08:23

I'm pretty sure Walter Schriefels didn't have anything to do with 13 Day Getaway unless he produced that turd bomb of an album in addition to the good CIV album, that's where the comparison was pointing...

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 1, 2006 at 4:03 PM (EDT)

...another solid album of boring bridge 9 hardcore about being stabbed in the back and these guys pulled a CIV

Comparing this record to any record written by Walter Schreifels is sacrilege.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 1, 2006 at 3:15 PM (EDT)
My Score:

while the cover is the worst thing I have ever seen I did give this record a good honest listen and it seriously is awesome. It took me a while but I love it now. I recommend everyone at least download it and delete tracks 2,3,5 and 6 and you have an amazing hardcore ep.

Posted by EyesLikeBOmbs on 2006-07-01 11:34:50

"Lamest cover art since the whole "fashion babes killing each other" era of screamo. This shit has no business in the underground."

While the album art does suck, you're pretty lame as well, for the second sentence you wrote down there.

Posted by dazed on 2006-07-01 00:59:39

Here I was thinking we were going to read about another solid album of boring bridge 9 hardcore about being stabbed in the back and these guys pulled a CIV...

Posted by lookmommyididit on 2006-06-30 23:04:45

so fucking bad. what were they thinking? and the funny thing is everyone on the bridge 9 messageboard hypes/defends this album like crazy. its like bizarro hardcore world over there.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 10:16 PM (EDT)

lets stop worrying about the art and concentrate on how bad the music sucks

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 9:34 PM (EDT)

i don't think enough can be said about the cover art. what the fuck.

Posted by johnrambo on 2006-06-30 18:42:42

hey fucks, ease up.

Posted by feeeding5000 on 2006-06-30 18:10:10

Today's are probably the worst reviews in a while. Not a single album or show that's good, or, really, even "punk". Well...except Good Riddance.

Posted by moneenerd on 2006-06-30 16:26:44

these guys used to be a sick hardcore band. remember that split with With Honor? t'was fly.

and this new album... the cover alone turns me off so fucking much. not only is it a dumb emo-looking concept for CD artwork, but the colors and blotchiness make my eyes wanna shut forever. it literally looks as if it were made in about 10 minutes using a trial version of paint shop pro.

and for that, i'm not even gonna give this album a shot. it looks so effortless that i dont even wanna hear it.

Posted by kirbypuckett on 2006-06-30 14:18:20

What band had that cover that looked liked Mariah Carey? I think it was a Victory band (it has to be).

This cover ALMOST tops that.

Someone post a link.

- Kirby

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 1:09 PM (EDT)

The Distance is totally screamo.

Because Bert McCrakenmiser is a pioneer of screamo right? I mean, he was rocking "the scene" in the mid-nineties right? Right alongside the yaps in Orchid.

I listened to a few of the songs on PureVolume, and was disappointed. Call me a "head-up-my-butt-psuedo-core-elitist" but I'm just not into this poppish-core material.

Posted by FunkyColdMedina on 2006-06-30 12:44:32

That cover art is the worst thing Ive ever seen.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 12:14 PM (EDT)

Lamest cover art since the whole "fashion babes killing each other" era of screamo. This shit has no business in the underground.

--Cos

Posted by kirbypuckett on 2006-06-30 09:45:25
My Score:

You have got to be kidding me? Who in the right mind gave this record the green light?

My advice:

http://punknews.org/review/4409

http://punknews.org /review/4409

http://punknews.org/review/4409

I also have a few words for the bloke that designed the cover art. Seriously...WHAT?!

I guess Sickboi was correct in his Good Riddance review -- those melodic hardcore bands don't hang around a lot.

I will assume this record will sell a whopping 65 units. At $10-$12 dollars a pop that is enough to buy me tickets to the All-Star game. It's the least this band could do for me.

Freddy Sanchez > The Distance

- Kirby

Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-06-30 09:18:34

Ok, so i'm listening to this right now, and if "phase two" is " downright furious and compelling" i don't really know if i want to keep listening.

Posted by HeresLookinAtYou on 2006-06-30 08:56:22

ah I'm an idiot.
i thought that was the name of a song.
ok I lose

Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-06-30 08:56:17

So, what's the deal?
They released a few of these songs "anonymously" under the name "the jealousy", right?

Why did they change it back to the distance? i mean, it's not like the semi-semi name recognition (being on a split that included with honors best output yet) would help push a record like this.

Posted by HeresLookinAtYou on 2006-06-30 08:55:42

Charlie Sheen

first Alexisonfire
now them?

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 30, 2006 at 8:21 AM (EDT)

i am sick to death of album covers with sluttly looking girls on them. recover did it. count the stars did it. there's been a fucking million of them. it's tired.
-TOBB

Posted by Allular on 2006-06-30 03:50:31

This album sounds like a trainwreck.

Posted by Anchors on 2006-06-30 03:26:25

I agree with you 95% of the time when it comes to liking records Jordan, but in good conscience, I simply cannot allow myself to take the time to even listen to one solitary mp3 of a band who would allow that sort of cover art.

Posted by johnnydanger on 2006-06-30 03:21:33

This review is far too kind, the album is a joke

Posted by inagreendase on 2006-06-30 01:02:50
My Score:

This album just boggles my mind.

Out of the, like 3-4 good songs, even one of them, "The Setup," is kind of unsettlng.

"Let It Rain" sounds like a latter-era Offspring B-side. Seriously.

And they delve into the 'screamo' bullshit on the track with Bert? Come on.

I know I'm disappointed with an album when I'm literally laughing out loud almost every 5 minutes at one moment or another.

I did like the Distance, but I'm secretly thanking myself I was never a *huge* fan. I can't even imagine how the real dedicated ones feel about this...

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