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Thieves! Thieves I Say! I realize these are bold accusations to say about Montreal’s Sweet Distortion. But one listen to Life Kills and maybe the judge would actually buy my case. But let’s play nice for now and call them musical borrowers.

Basically, Sweet Distortion's latest album isn’t anything new from the metal field that any common headbanger hasn’t heard before. If anything, the group’s album is a musical reminder of metal’s numerous subgenres and influential acts. It’s probably more appropriate to call them metallic thieves…er…borrowers then genre historians. But that isn't said to suggest that this method doesn’t completely work out in their favor.

 The album does contain some bright reminders. “Sx & $” has a groovy nu-metal bounce that 311 would be proud of, combining the track’s heavy and hooky rock assault with it’s simple lyrics as lead singer Jerome confidently proclaims that “It’s about power, girls, the sex and the money.”  It’s a primal approach that works.

 “Genetic X Tasy” steals the bluesy hard-rock sound of AC/DC to from a track that’s pleasantly sleazy enough to become a musical pickup line given in the dirtiest and smokiest of bars or strip clubs. 

“United. Strong” is perhaps the album’s strongest point. This time the band plays the political card, a tactic that if based solely on lyrics would only stumble into mediocrity. But it’s the tempo and style tag from march to mosh that keeps the song from sounding like another simple case of music thievery. And yet at the same time, it’s hard to shake that feeling of familiarity. It’s actually the most balanced of the album. 

But Sweet Distortion's borrowing tactic isn‘t without its misses. Track opener “Life” sounds more like a knockoff mosher from Slipknot. Its a mesh of thunderous guitar bombardment that seems more like pointless noise than anything really driven. “Guardian” is an attempt by the band to show its softer side as it unveils its own version of the dreaded metal ballad. Lyrically, it’s too predictable and boring to be taken seriously. And it would have fared better during the glory days of spandex and hairspray.

In short, Life Kills isn’t going to create any new subgenres for metal or rock, nor is it hard to pinpoint the album’s influences. It’s an album that uses any of the common themes found within the metal field: sex, darkness, politics, love, and even the corporate world. And then it meshes those themes with nu-metal, classic hard rock, and even a bit of thrash. Sadly there are no shout–outs to Satan on this one, and the album struggles to get beyond mediocrity at points. But it’s clear that Sweet Distitiotion has learned the golden rule that if you’re going to steal, then steal from the best.