Detroit Illharmonic Symphony release their new album, “Everything Is Shattered”, and present the record’s title track as its lead single. My surprise was huge when I first heard this song and realized what Detroit Illharmonic Symphony are actually doing here. Extremely ambitious and willing to take big risks, the Americans pull off a crazy mashup, throwing punk, rock, indie rock and hip hop into the blender, while giving the final result a cinematic scope. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the track sounds like it was created by a punk rock band jamming in indie rock mode inside a James Bond movie. Strange as an idea and challenging as a listening experience, yet Detroit Illharmonic Symphony manage to create something special and personal, which, after repeated listens, truly excites the demanding listener. What emerges is a punk/indie rock anthem that feels like a sonic collision between different musical worlds. And the sound of that collision is highly intriguing, wild and forward-thinking. “Everything Is Shattered” feels restless and unpredictable, constantly shifting moods, but always holding together as a unified statement. Jack Grisham (TSOL) and Max Galbreath (ttwopercentmilk) take part in the track, and their vocal performances add serious weight to the final musical outcome, enhancing both the rawness and the dramatic intensity of the song. Paul Roessler’s production is key here: clean enough to feel cinematic, raw enough to keep the grit intact. Nothing feels over-polished, and that’s exactly the point. The result is a bold, unconventional single that refuses to play it safe and confirms Detroit Illharmonic Symphony as a band operating well outside the comfort zone of genre labels.
♦ 8/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
