Love Me Destroyer

The Things Around Us Burn

[3.5/5] In a refreshing reminder that not all heavy bands are polished to a Pro Tools sheen these days, Denver’s Love Me Destroyer offer up a gritty, raw second record to follow up 2003’s Black Heart Affair. Between singer James Wellensiek’s coarse-although notably solid-vocals and the foursome’s grimy melodies, The Things Around Us Burn sounds like the product of a band who haven’t slept in days and are pouring their hearts out in a basement studio surrounded by the remains of cigarette butts and alcohol bottles. The gimmick-free music lands somewhere between early Rise Against and Hot Water Music, igniting a longing for the days when punk bands played garages instead of Clear Channel-run clubs and cared more about the passion behind the music than how glossy it sounds-not surprising from a band who rose from the ashes of Colorado legends Pinhead Circus. Imperfection has never sounded so perfect. (SUBURBAN HOME) Emily Zemler