Distance Defined

Destinations - Distance Defined

In recent years, many new metalcore bands have grown in popularity, and some, like Wage War, have become massive, headlining national tours and supporting major acts. Wage War was the first band that popped into my head when I listened to the latest album from Distance Defined, titled "Destination". The album has the mix of melody and heavy down to a science, and is a perfect example of all the great things about metalcore. A lead guitar kicks this one off on the track "Monuments". This song is pretty damn heavy, and the chant vocals, which are normally used to cheesy effect, are done very well. "Counterweight" follows it up, and starts off very heavy and fast paced, before introducing an amazing mix of cleans along with the harsh vocals. This dog especially feels like a great mix of metal and hardcore. "Convelascent" is the next track, and has a dark atmosphere, while continuing the balance of melody and heavy that continues on tracks such as "Dissimulation" and "Revolve/Restore". After those we get "Deadlock", which for the first minute or so has a really soft opening, before kicking back up and becoming a very heavy song. "Tide Turner" serves as an interlude on the album, before launching into "Iron Hand". The very opening of this song reminded me of Every Time I Die. This song also has some chant vocals, but also keeps the hybrid of heavy and melody that populates most of the songs on this album. "The Controller" has an opening that's dark and stupid heavy, and the heaviness stays through the whole song. Lastly is "Destinations". The longest song on the album, it opens with a soft guitar, before launching into an amazing lead over a hardcore rhythm section. This song is definitely a great way to end the album, and definitely ends it on a high note. This is a very good album, and one that shouldn't be missed by metalcore fans. If I had one complaint, it's that it feels a little too long, but that's honestly just me nitpicking. Overall a great experience, by a band that shouldn't be overlooked

9/10 - Metal Madness

Distance Defined has asked for a review of their album "Destinations" and I was happy to agree. This is one of those albums that upon listening I found myself constantly humming, singing, or talking about their songs. The Underground is a special place for music and Distance have certainly shown that to be true. For a band from Alaska with significantly less outlets than many others bands, they have embraced the community of UNU, as well as many other outlets, to showcase their music and be heard globally. I'll break this down song by song, and when you're done reading this review I hope you all check out Distance Defined and add their music to your collection. Destinations is a must have album.

Monuments - Monuments is a perfect opening song. From the very first guitar riff you feel a build. Not just for the song but for the album as well. You get a sense of big things coming and they certainly deliver. From
The beginning you feel the metalcore vibe, but it doesn't feel redundant and it feels like a fresh take on the genre. It feels like something with feeling and it pumps you up from the get go. The chorus feels like an anthem for pushing forward and being a part of a movement or a community (UNU came to mind for me) and it gives a very positive and motivational message. This song generally makes me feel like getting up and doing something, it's a motivational and hard anthem.

Counterweight - What a brilliant way to start the structure of this album. Counterweight starts by hitting you right in the face with some very hardcore-esque vibes. But than the chorus hits you with the first catchy melody of the album and it's a keeper. It's so good it reserves a special spot in your head that comes out from time to time just to make you go listen to the track over and over. The hard verses with the catchy choruses may be pretty cliche of metalcore but again, while the formula may not be new the final product feels fresh is done to perfection. This song will have you throwing down and singing your heart out at the same time. That's not easy to do.

Convalescent - Convalescent is probably my favorite track on Destinations. The chorus of this track hits me every time I hear it. The chemistry these guys have is something most bands would envy. You can feel the emotion to this track, and that's what I love. There's moments where lines are first screamed and than sang, and it provides an element that feels different and you're getting the best of both worlds. This song is incredibly well written and performed to perfection.

Dissimulation - Dissimulation starts heavy as hell! This song is one of those where you can sometimes compare the vocals to Black Dahlia Murder at times but than he switches something that sounds more of a catchy twist. There's even elements of some djent style guitar at times. This song is truly all over the place but it flows perfectly. My ears are hearing everything from metalcore, pop punk, djent, and even some new American thrash at times. Brilliant, clever, and interesting.

Resolve/Restore - This song really has some of that As I Lay Dying type of vibe going. It's got some of the catchy elements I can recall from As I Lay Dying, but than it has the occasional August Burns Red style heaviness that kick you in the teeth. You'll mosh and want to get out all your aggression and than immediately be swayed into such an emotional moment because the song hits your every heart string.

Deadlock - Deadlock starts with a very mellow and smooth guitar intro. It goes perfect with the flow of this album, they build you up and mellow you out. But they do it all like a walk through the park. You don't feel rushed into anything, you feel prepared and ready. But right after that mellow it gets to an in your face aggression. A very old school All That Remains feel to the aggression until the mellow comes back and leaves you feeling like this time it's the calm before the storm. When the storm hits again it's a build to a hardcore style verse until the mellow brings you back down again. Ultimately this song feels like a roller coaster ride that you never want to get off of.

TideTurner - Can I say again how much I love the flow to this album?? My god, I've listened to this album so many times over and I've never even thought about skipping a song. This album is one that you have to experience it in full, to skip or stop would feel incomplete and you'd be hurting yourself. Even though this track is just a bridge to the next song and not an anthem or a statement like others, this song makes you feel like you're continuing a journey to something more. And they just keep delivering.

Ironhand - The journey takes you here and this place is filled with in your face metal! This makes you want to get up and mosh. You're gonna want to mosh to this and than boom! The chorus hits and than a slower verse that makes you start looking within because this music is touching your soul. The drums are phenomenal throughout and are really a standout for myself in this track. Not doing too much when he shouldn't, and showcasing his abilities at all the right moments. It's something simple that goes a long way for the listening experience.

The Controller - This is actually a song I continually find myself singing along too, even when it's not playing. Very cool early style screams throughout, mixed with the catchy brilliant vocals through the clean parts. This also has the occasional "soapbox" moment (I call it a soapbox moment because it sounds like the vocalist is shouting something almost through a megaphone and it's an added element I love)

Destinations - The title track starts with such an inspiring guitar piece that you immediately feel emotionally invested. You feel this song will hit you in a way you'll never forget from the first note. The build takes you on a journey that you never want to end. This final track proves how this might be one of the most impressive structures to an album ever. By the time the vocalist starts his screams, you're so invested you can't help but put your fist in the air. There's another anthem type of spot (fitting considered the album started with an anthem feel as well) ultimately you can't help but feel like this song immediately has become a part of your being. It's lyrical content is again a positive and motivating experience. For this being the final song it feels sad because you can't wait to hear more. It feels like a sad goodbye, and you can't wait to see/hear them again.

This album ultimately more than anything put me in mind of old school All That Remains and at times I could feel some Killswitch Engage, August Burns Red, Black Dahlia Murder, and As I Lay Dying. Now when I say this I don't mean they sound just like any of those bands. But I feel some influence can certainly be heard, at least in my mind. In conclusion if you're a fan of those styles at all than don't skip Distance Defined. They will not disappoint. And for a band from the underground who does their own recording, mixing, and mastering they have a professional sound that would surely make most contemporaries envious. Distance Defined certainly may have distance as an obstacle in terms of their location, but their music is brilliant and I'm a fan. I strongly encourage everyone to check them out and listen to Destinations on any major digital outlet as well as support this band and help them in getting their music heard all around the world. From Maryland to Alaska I want to say thank you to DD, you guys have brought music to my ears that will forever be in rotation for my personal enjoyment now. I hope you all enjoy and support one of the best the underground has to offer. - Andrew Balderson

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Tale of the tape
FEATURED
A long distance metal affair
Distance Defined to play ACW Saturday, Koots Sunday

By ROB LEFEBVRE Oct 24, 2017 (1)
5 min to read


Distance Defined
Distance Defined: Trevyn Days, Rollin Ritter, Trentyn Days and Tim Vinson.
Submitted photo



Guitarist Trevyn Days lives in Anchor Point. His brother, bassist Trentyn Days, lives in Homer. Vocalist Rollin Ritter resides in Kenai, while drummer Tim Vinson hangs his hat in Wasilla. This metal band truly lives up to its name, Distance Defined. They’ll be playing a big show at Anchorage Community Works on the Oct. 28, and another one at Koots on the 29th.

Back in 2016, Ritter and Vinson put out a call for musicians. Trevyn sent in some demos of his guitar work, and they liked what they heard. Since they all lived far away from each other, they started passing recorded music back and forth via an internet group chat. Vinson used his studio in Wasilla to build songs. Within a month, the group had four songs ready and Days asked his brother to join in on bass.

Vinson worked on the slope, but one day he drove the five hours down to Anchor Point to jam with Days in his living room. “We played a song we had finished called ‘Counterweight’ and it was as if we had practiced many times before,” he said. “We spent the whole weekend jamming the 2 songs we all knew and confirmed our thoughts that we had something worth working for even as a long distance band.” The chemistry was right, so they had to name the band.


“Coming up with a name now a days that everyone agrees on, that sounds good, is easy to remember, and most importantly is not being used, can be quite challenging,” said Days. “I bet we went through dozens of ideas and couldn't find a winner. We liked the idea of distance being in it though. Sitting on the couch one night my wife Sara (who also does a lot of our photography and filming behind the scenes stuff) just said ‘How about Distance Defined?’ It stuck.”

The group kept writing new songs via the internet, then practiced once a month, either at Day’s place in Anchor Point or Vinson’s house in Wasilla. Sarah Pederson, booker extraordinaire, heard about the new project from Vinson one day and invited them to play in a massive show called “Metal Massacre” in October of last year. Distance Defined killed it at their first live show, playing their five original tunes with enough energy and passion that Pedersen invited them to open for touring act August Burns Red.

After that, the band kept plugging away. “We played shows throughout the year and finished recording a full length album,” Days said. “Our goal was to come out swinging by skipping the EP phase and really giving people a CD to listen to.”

The foursome released their debut album on June 19 — both digital and physical CD — and got a tone of positive feedback from people all over. You can hear the album, Destinations, on Spotify right now. “We played a couple CD-release shows this past summer and took a little break from shows August and September,” Days said. “Currently we are writing new material for a follow up concept EP and booking shows for this next winter/spring.”

Days has been playing guitar since he was 11 years old. “I started writing songs as soon as I could play one chord,” he said. “I have a huge passion for just writing music. Writing songs has never really been a challenge because I constantly have so many ideas stirring around in my head.”

Music is not only a passion for Distance Defined but a must for their busy daily lives. “We need a break, an escape, and this band is exactly that,” said Days. “It’s a place we can just focus on our skills and craft, strive to be better and write the best music we can. And of course, hope other people enjoy it.”

The band makes music because the four members want to. They’re not desperate to “make it.” They have jobs and families, mortgages and careers. “This isn't about making money, or being famous,” says Days, “it’s simply four guys, putting their heads together to hang out, jam, and play some shows.”

“Of course, we still dream about it and talk about it all the time because, well why not?” he added.

Metal is a tough genre to find success with these days. The fanbase is strong and passionate, but much smaller than that for top 40 pop hits. “Metal is fun to play,” said Days. “It can be technical, rhythmic, fast, but in our case also melodic, and dark or even beautiful.”

The group doesn’t allow itself to be limited to any one sub-genre, either, though they don’t mind if you call them Metalcore. “No great artist has come from not taking risks,” said Days. “Think of any major music act; they made it that way because of their differences from the rest, even to the extreme.”

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Distance Defined
Distance Defined plays Chilkoot Charlie’s in 2016.
Submitted photo
Metal can help set free some personal demons, too, and while the genre can be aggressive, it doesn’t have to be negative. “I honestly feel like metal is a door that can be opened to truly express yourself and not be bound by fear, intimidation, or shyness,” he said. “Just be yourself, write whats on your heart and I think you can make great music.”

What music Distance Defined makes is unapologetically original. While Days loves cover bands and what they do, he’d rather write and play his own songs. “For me, I feel like if I'm going to spend my time on the guitar, I want to write, to create, to try and do something new that hasn't been done,” he said. “I sometimes will jam to other stuff to see how they did something I like but I would be absolutely dumbfounded if someone looked at me and asked to play a cover of something because I'm not sure if I know even one.”

The challenge, then, for a small local band like this is to give people music that they can remember, sing along to, and even love. Distance Defined is winning their fans over, for sure. “We have gained a small following, and some really amazing fans that have shown up to every show, even if it's down in Kenai or Soldotna,” said Days. “Having people you don't know sing your songs is the best thing for a local artist. You know that means they have listened to your music over and over and studied the lyrics, especially since we don't have our lyrics posted anywhere.”

The band is proud to be a part of the local Alaskan music scene. Days enjoys listening to other regional bands like Thera, Silhouettes, Figures, City in Ashes, Part-Time Superheroes, Beyond the Tides, Devilwitch, and Beyond the Shak, just to name a few off the top of his head. The local scene, he said, is growing and doing good things. “There are some great bands and a good local crowd that seems eager to latch on to a new band that they love,” Days said. “There's a lot of help from many people in the scene too just doing their best to be a part of it, help with it, put on shows, news, radio, recording. From what I can see, things are coming for the local music scene, especially in metal.”

Days has good things to say about Koots and Anchorage Community Works, too. Venues like these are incredibly supportive of new, less experienced bands as they’re coming up. “Koots is by far the best for metal,” he said. “The central location, multiple stages, good sound and great layout make it an ideal place for bands of our genre.”

ACW is a fantastic all-ages venue, too. “Some awesome shows have been played there and it has been packed as can be,” he said. “It’s got a great vibe, good location, and a decent sound system. I really think It's important to have a great under-21 place for people to go and enjoy music of all genres.”

Bands come and go in any music scene, and it’s exciting to see a newer one like Distance Defined make its mark. “You've got to feed it to grow,” said Days. “Keep playing shows, keep going to shows, and support local music. We need everyone to help make it as great as it can be with promoters, radio stations, film production, audio production. Spread the word. You never know who the next ‘big band’ to come from Alaska will be.” - Rob Lefebvre