THE DOWNWARD CANDIDATE 'Distort and Confuse' RATING: 8.5/10

By JEFF MAKI

The Downward Candidate's downtuned blend of hardcore and metal makes Distort and Confuse a mosher's dream. Packing shouted vocals that hardcore bands made famous and guitars tuned in Entombed's basement, the four songs that make up this EP are pissed off anthems of aggression. The non-stop screams of frontman Kim Orneborg on the title track and the circle-pit rhythm of “Mind Siege” show that The Downward Candidate is ready to take on the metal and hardcore scenes with force. This record has nothing to do with the term “metalcore.” Distort and Confuse contains no clean emo-style vocals. The band simply blends the two styles in a way not many have yet. It’s simply outstanding.

The Downward Candidate already has toured extensively with fellow Danish act Raunchy and has been featured on Terrorizer magazine's Fear Candy compilation. A full-length album will be recorded in January 2007. I can't wait.