Destroy Babylon
Gig Seeker Pro

Destroy Babylon

Band Rock Reggae

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Performer Magazine [November 2006]"

Destroy Babylon, originally from New Hampshire and now Boston-based, make their recorded debut with the self-released and thought-provoking Oligopuzzled. The band has a strong reggae underpinning sound-wise that is tinged with indie rock and a punk spirit, at times recalling The Police. Raucous, metal-esque guitar work and a diverse assemblage of instruments (including fruit) fill out the atmospheric vibe. Add a healthy dose of world-conscious lyrics, and you have a wide-ranging, genre-hopping album.

“Rocky Shores from a Bird’s Eye,” the first track, is a kind of fable where a certain current president teams with “a bird named Jim” to cause all sorts of trouble in the name of a higher power. The song features a steady, reggae groove with powerful, yet airy, guitar soloing overhead that becomes a recurring dynamic on the CD.

“Of Fish and Water” sees the group continuing to take up the classic call of reggae as a supporter of social causes, as this track has a line that typifies the album’s perspective: “I believe in human rights / For more than just myself.” “Grab a Shovel (Dig Faster!)“ starts with a brief recording that sounds like an educational broadcast from the ’60s and references colonization. Sweeping, hard-rock guitar then moves in, making way for a brief keyboard solo before taking back the reigns of rocking out until the end of the song. “Bureaucratic Beat” examines another cause of societal strife, with vocalist/multi-instrumentalist John Beaudette noting that “big business sucks up and it spits out.” A significant point in the album comes with the short fifth track, “ADD to Album,” followed by “Oligopuzzled (Part VI),” both of which cast a wary gaze at the digital music revolution. The former offers a sharp lament that sounds like an ironic pro-CD rallying cry for our modern age — “I’ve got music ADD so skip the track!” Musically, the tune sways from dominant hard rock to mellow indie rock and back to intense guitar-heroics before closing with a somber horn outro.

Clearly a group who wants you to be a bit puzzled, then ask some questions, Destroy Babylon puts a tripped-out spin on the reggae sound and seizes on a number of current social issues to come up with a strong first record.

-Andrew Palmacci
- Oligopuzzled Review


"Skratch Magazine [October 2006]"

"The debut release from this Massachusetts's punk/reggae trio is a blistering adventure that plants a wooden stake firmly in the heart of the neocon vampires running our empire. With roots in bands like The Clash and Bad Brains, these East Coast upstarts have spent more time tearing down tyranny than struggling for a major-label contract. The band has been together since 2001, yet it's taken this long for the debut to be released. Destroy Babylon even created its own label, MusicADD, as a collective for fellow bands. Buy this album for the catchy, humorous reggae these guys play- or just for one of the best lines ever: "What the fuck is wrong with these Americans? / I thought we've progressed from dumb barbarians." Hmmm, President G.W. Babylon does suck." - Oligopuzzled Review


"Awards"

-Winner of Fearless TV Battle of the Bands, September 2006 [sponsored by Gibson]

-Winner of Merrimack College Battle of the Bands 2005 - ... ... ... ... ... ... ...


"Metronome Magazine [October 2006]"

"The trio of Destroy Babylon... are a curious band indeed. They mess around with time signatures, meld influences as wide ranging as classical with reggae and inject puzzling prose into their songs making for an entertaining, if not often time interesting listen. What may have started as a project of fun and laughs has turned into something bigger than the band itself. This is a clever bit of musical art delivered in a highly inventive and original package. The idea is not to listen to just one song... the album is a complete body of work that runs seamlessly from song to song. But what do I know... I'm Oligopuzzled!" - Oligopuzzled Review


"The Boston Globe [8.8.06]"

"...Destroy Babylon plays reggae-rock with an agenda. The Allston band's 311-inspired brand of music sounds relaxed, but the group has plenty to say about the government, integrity, and being a good person..." - Boston Globe Listing


"The Noise [October 2006]"

"Destroy Babylon has one big obstacle to overcome; theyre a white reggae band, which fair or not, is going to lead to 311 comparisons. It doesnt help that from the picture in the liner notes, they look like what I imagine that Sublime tribute band that inexplicably sells out Avalon to look like. Fortunately, these boys have a hell of a lot more going on than either of those bands; they actually have a point... The band nicely eschews the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure and allows the music to meander, accelerate and mellow out in a rather natural fashion. The tracks themselves segue into each other in a way that gives the album a welcome cohesiveness. There is some appropriately funky guitar work from the versatile John Beaudette, who also adds some well-placed trumpet, and the rhythm section of bassist Chris Moran and drummer Marc Beaudette keep your head bobbing throughout the disc..." - Oligopuzzled Review


"Smother Magazine [July 2006]"

"Reggae punk in the vein of Bad Brains and 311, Destroy Babylon are crazy eclectic. Delicious melodies with bouncy rhythms and thick bass grooves make “Oligopuzzled” a very impressive debut album. Topical subjects with intriguing commentary allow them to deviate from the traditional college-age bands. The band also started a site called MusicADD.com with the hopes of creating a new online community. Check ‘em both out!" - Smother.net


Discography

-Oligopuzzled [LP] 42 mins.
-2004 Demo

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Formed in 2001 amid the woods of Hudson, NH, Destroy Babylon are a power trio of eclectic and dynamic musicians. Drawing inspiration from the roots of dub and scattered patterns of hard bop, the band rolls their own blend of indie rock that sets them apart from the crowded Boston music scene. Destroy Babylon's debut album, "Oligopuzzled" is the product of an extensive search for self/sonic definition and is the first part of a conversation about what is and isn't working in contemporary arts and culture. On first listen, comparisons have been made to the sounds of Joe Strummer & the Clash, ALL, and 311. The group focuses on an album to be taken as a whole and the cohesion that pulls one song into the next is the same energy that has consistently drawn audiences into their explosive live performances.

Having made Allston, Massachusetts their home for the past year, the band has been actively playing throughout the New England area in venues including the Middle East, Bill's Bar, Dover Brickhouse & O'Brien's alongside acts ranging from Black Eyed Peas to Badfish. Destroy Babylon recently started their own website called Music A.D.D. to promote their music and other independent artists. More information can be found at www.musicadd.com.