Distinguisher

Like a punch to the face, Las Vegas metal outfit Distinguisher deliver blow after blow of dark deathcore influenced by hardcore and nu-metal. Emerging in the mid-2010s, they released an EP and full-length debut, What's Left of Us, with their founding vocalist. Signing with Stay Sick Recordings in 2019, they recruited a new singer and delivered Hell from Here. The quartet initially comprised guitarist/vocalist Josh Bearden, bassist Brad Cornelius, drummer Jacob Barsoum, and founding sin=ger Joshua Wilson. Together, they took their love of nu-metal and deathcore, crafting an ominous blend characterized by brutal drums, jagged riffs, and vocals that ranged from raspy growls to bloody shouts. Their first single, "Deadweight," arrived in 2014 and wound up on their first EP, 2015's Helpless. Their 2017 full-length debut, What's Left of Us, was self-released that February and produced by Mike Sahm (Chelsea Grin, So This Is Suffering). What's Left would be the last with Wilson, who parted ways with the band. Between albums, Distinguisher signed with Stay Sick Recordings and recruited a new vocalist, Nick Chance, in early 2019. Together, the quartet recorded their sophomore follow-up, Hell from Here, with Sahm back at the helm. ~ Neil Z. Yeung