Artist: Distante
Title: Demo 2021
Release: EP / Digital
Year: 2023
Label: Passion Means Struggle, En El Desierto
Keeping an eye on the international straight edge scene, I wrote about Distante in my Edge Day 2022 article, when the band just released their Cada Acción Cuenta EP. The four-piece straight edge band from Buenos Aires, Argentina is still going strong and has released a live recording material in March 2023 as well as a vinyl release of their 2021 demo on the Passion Means Struggle and En El Desierto labels.
I really like this demo because it captures the youthful energy and passion of the classic sound pioneered by bands like Youth of Today and Insted in a really honest and fun way. Consisting of five tracks with lyrics in Spanish, singer Pauli screams the words “straight edge” on only two tracks (“Contramano” and “Resurgir”), but you can tell that all the songs revolve around straight edge themes, some in a more subtle way than others. Meaningful hardcore first and foremost, with five fast, angry and melodic straight edge anthems that stay true to the ‘youth crew’ canon and say everything that needs to be said. The tracks barely exceed the one minute mark, so if you like fast and energetic bands with X’d up fists, this one is guaranteed to be played over and over again. The cover artwork and the vinyl itself are really simplistic but quite nice.
Genuine youth crew sound with neat and measured melodies, inspired by both American classics and Argentinean pioneers of the sound like xAutocontrolx, all with female vocals in Spanish. Fast, simple and straight to the point. Unfortunately no English translations of the lyrics.
