The Shallow Gaze

In a genre often accused of prioritising aesthetic extremity over genuine substance, Distant have arrived with a mandate of raw, unapologetic sincerity. Their latest offering, 'The Shallow Gaze', is not merely a collection of heavy riffs; it is a deliberate, suffocating excavation of modern malaise. Clocking in at just under twenty-three minutes, the album wastes no time, opting for high-impact intensity that forces the listener to confront the underlying weight of the lyrics rather than just the sheer velocity of the percussion.

From the opening title track, the collaboration with Darius Tehrani establishes a high watermark for vocal character. It isn't just about the guttural depth; it is the texture of the delivery—an evocative, tormented howl that mirrors the sonic decay of the instrumentation. The production is cavernous, allowing the downtempo elements to breathe. Here, 'slow' does not mean 'weak'. Instead, the pacing creates a deliberate, stalking atmosphere, building a sense of dread that only erupts into violence when the riffs finally crash like falling masonry.

Distant crafts a punishing, atmospheric slab of downtempo deathcore that refuses to offer any easy comforts.

'Flesh and Nails' continues this trajectory, featuring Kyle Medina's contribution to a track that feels physically claustrophobic. The song serves as a masterclass in momentum; even when the tempo dips, the sheer density of the guitar work ensures the energy never flags. It is a calculated aggression, one that feels rooted in a desire to provoke a visceral reaction from the listener. Is it unsettling? Absolutely. Is it intentional? Every grinding note suggests so.

the inclusion of Ricky Myers of Suffocation on 'All Will Be (N)One' provides a crucial pedigree of death metal lineage. His presence grounds the more modern 'deathcore' label in the foundational grit of traditional death metal. The track manages to weave together technical proficiency with a raw, primal urgency. It serves as a pivot point in the record, moving away from the atmospheric gloom towards a more direct, confrontational stance. The songwriting here is lean and muscular, stripping away the unnecessary fluff of their contemporaries.

Moving into 'Rat Torture', the band explores a more jagged, erratic form of aggression. It feels like a frantic sprint through a wasteland. Here, the musicality is stark, almost skeletal, letting the sheer violence of the performance take centre stage. It is a stark contrast to the preceding tracks, yet it maintains the album's overarching integrity. The transition into 'Spirit', featuring Tyler Beam of The Last Ten Seconds of Life, provides a haunting shift in dynamic. Beam's contribution adds a layer of ethereal haunting that balances the preceding brutality with a sense of spiritual exhaustion.

'Nothing Left to Hate' and the closing 'Desolation' function as the album's thematic resolution. They are the sonic manifestation of the 'Shallow Gaze'—the numbing effect of an overstimulated, hollowed-out society. The lyrics are particularly sharp here, ditching generic tropes for a pointed, politically alert critique of modern apathy. The band isn't just shouting into the void; they are pointing a finger at the things that created the void in the first place.

Musically, the band demonstrates a commanding grasp of space. They know exactly when to pull back the reigns to let a decaying note linger, and when to unleash a torrent of sonic violence. The interplay between the low-tuned guitars and the percussive assault is seamless, creating a cohesive experience that feels curated rather than haphazard. It is rare to find a deathcore release that feels this focused on the weight of the message without sacrificing the quality of the craft.

'The Shallow Gaze' is a formidable piece of work. It demands attention not just through its crushing volume, but through its willingness to be uncomfortable. Distant have carved out a niche that feels authentic, producing a record that is as intellectually demanding as it is physically punishing. In a landscape often filled with superficial pyrotechnics, this is a deliberate, scorched-earth approach to the genre. It is a grim, necessary piece of heavy music.