From the outset, T.D.R.O reminded me of an early Black Sabbath as they plunged into the metal influenced opening song 'The Blackened Heart'. No sooner had I made that association, the song changed tempo and the band grinded their way into a much more American punk style. Dark chord progressions and hugely distorted guitars were mixed with thrash drumming and an all-out, aggressive playing style. It was an ear-opening combination. Lead vocalist and bassist Marti Corpse had a deep baritone rasp to his voice and his bass playing was simple but heavy and engaging. Steve Satan was a competent guitar player whose full, juicy guitar sound shook the small pub. For most of the gig, drummer Leigh Zombie sat with his head down and in a robotic like fashion beat the living daylights out of his drum skins. Initial impressions of the band reflected a well rehearsed, musical machine. As well as their punchy sounding guitar rock, T.D.R.O looked scary as well! All three band members showcased alternative haircuts and tattoos that really complimented their musical style. It was clear that the band attempted to use their frightening afterlife persona’s to add further fuel to their fast paced music but I thought that the band perhaps relied too much on this and their overall delivery seemed a little lacking in passion.  |
This was emphasized further as technical problems plagued their performance. Marti had already ran into trouble at the start of the gig when his microphone stopped working. Later on, Leigh halted the gig yet again as his new bass drum pedal disintegrated. These problems were essentially not the bands fault and you couldn't help but feel frustrated for them. However, the bands set fell very flat during these breaks and they didn't seem to know what to do with themselves or the audience. At one point, Marti began dancing erratically around the stage trying to make light of the situation. It was quite entertaining but I'm sure that it wasn't supposed to be a part of their act. Overall, I have to say that I couldn't help but like T.D.R.O a lot. Their mixture of upbeat, punk-metal was very successful despite the songs morbid, horrific lyrics and moods. As with many alternative bands, you could accuse T.D.R.O of playing a lot of similar songs. A particular drumbeat seemed constant throughout their set but was also effective in driving the beat to the depths of an audience members mind. With simple sentiments and catchy melodies, T.D.R.O exploit a song writing formula that has shown many bands before them the road to success. | 
