3 Band: Debtor
Title: Deliverance (Reissue)
Label: Blood & Ink Records
Release Date: 2009
Review By: Steve
Tracklisting:
- Escape
- Salvaged
- None Righteous
- Failure
- Hope For Death
- -
- Radiant
- Witness
All I have to say about Debtor is “powerful”! Anytime the CD booklet has the description of the lead singer as “Prayers, Offensive Statements, Acoustic Guitar” you know you are in for something special. Debtor claims their name from the parable in Matthew 18:21-35 about the debtor who is forgiven millions of dollars of debt, yet would not forgive the debts of another for only a few bucks.
The first release of Deliverance was released in September of 2008 from five-piece hardcore band out of Pennsylvania. Debtor puts a new spin on hardcore; they label it as “Grime/Concrete/Gospel” on their MySpace page. Whatever you call it, I like it. Debtor has signed with Blood & Ink for this re-release and will release future albums with Blood and Ink even though those details have not been finalized yet. While Debtor’s songs may not be long (Only one is over 2:30) they pack a full Sunday service in each song. To quote lead vocalist Alan Popoli, “Our lyrics are frequently prayers of frustration and personal struggle, or diatribes against the evil of the world.”
Musically, Debtor has all that you can and would expect from a hardcore band. They remind me an awful lot of Strongarm, which is a good thing. To me where they make their mark and offer something different is lyrically. Popoli speaks a lot more than your average hardcore vocalist but don’t worry the majority of lyrics have some excellent hardcore passionate screams. I believe it is an excellent combination and drives home Debtor’s message that much more.
My favorite song is “Hope For Death” because it really spoke to me. I am dealing with a lot of personal issues right now and this song has really encouraged me. It was as if God brought this song to me personally. In it Popoli speaks and screams, “I’m just a worthless waste of space. / Nothing goes right and it never will. / The world I built has turned to dust. / Despair and misery are all I can feel. / Who am I? / What’s the point of this life? / My groans are pouring out like water from this wretched, weak, and pitiful frame. / I know I have no future here, but I will hold onto you. / When everything I worked for withers up and collapses, / and all my best endeavors are worthless defeats, / and all they would have gotten me anyway is empty vanity that rots to nothing – / everything I do washed away by the waves, / building sand castles with the tide coming in; / the one pure thing that lasts is service to you; / I wanna make this count. / So give me love, / make me whole. Let my time be worth something at all. / Give me love, / make me whole. / Restore my hope.”
Overall: Debtor puts out a unique and special flavor to the hardcore genre you are probably not used to. Their hardcore is bold and inspiring to the spirit. I would recommend this to any fan of Strongarm or old school hardcore. Because this album touched me personally I would rate it a 10, but I know it may not impact everyone the way it did me so I considering all other factors I gave it a high 7.
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Originally, from Albuquerque, NM but now I live in the Minneapolis area. I love Metal and Hardcore but I can tolerate pretty much anything. Albums I couldn't live without: Any Living Sacrifice album with Bruce on vocals, INXS - Kick, and AC/DC - Back in Black 
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How come it’s not showing his 10/10 rating? ;)
Thanks for the review!
Maybe these tracks will touch everyone like they did me and the user rating will be 10/10. This is a great release by a solid band
Agreed! Good review
Thanks, Phil
Have you listened to this yet?
yep! i bought the original release when they first signed to blood and ink. i’ve known about them for a while thanks to sam.
and blood and ink does need to sign mankind!
Brilliant band. Brilliant release.
Love every moment of it.
Now B&I needs to sign MANKIND, and have these two bands tour together, in New Zealand…
I have admitidly only heard what is online but i love it all!!
So good, so passionate!
I’m sure I’ve played the whole thing for you bro…
You guys want to update the user rating?
Nope. A little once in the car i remember but not in its entirety.
Ah but there I think you’re mistaken. Played the whole thing before the Saving Grace show with Ekklesia, but likely people weren’t paying it so much attention haha.
So you guys just hardcore fans? I got The Crimson Armada coming tomorrow
I’m personally not a huge metalcore fan. I don’t like underOATH or Haste The Day or Oh Sleeper or really any of the bands that are pushing that sound. Exception is Life In Your Way. Love that band.
Some metal I do like, but not in huge doses, and I like it to sound different to the metalcore out there
Do you guys like Texas in July?
I do not know this band…
Explain…
They are a young hardcore/metal band out of PA. some are still in high school
http://www.myspace.com/texasinjuly
Ah, will have to check them out sometime in the near future.
I will have a review up this week of their album. I think you might like them
Had a little listen to Texas in July, and can’t really say I’m all that into them.
Solid sound, and admittedly played well, but kinda more in the vein of August Burns Red than anything I’d call a hardcore band. I thought of the intro to ABR’s Composure when listening to one of their songs (Treason?).
Nice review Steve, I checked these guys out on myspace and they are pretty good. I might get this album sometime soon. I’ve been getting into these spirit-filled hardcore bands lately, does anybody else have any other bands that they would recommend that I check out?
Depends if you want something that sounds like Debtor or not.
If you’re looking for similar sound, go with Strongarm, perhaps Sin Eater, In Irons, maybe The Redemption Song, the last Opposition Of One album. Or if you’re looking to go a little darker, perhaps Mankind or Seraphim.
i’ve been listening to With Increase non stop lately. soo good
With Increase I found to be okay, not too amazing though.
The band I was completely blown away by was The Dynasty.
They’re from Wisconsin, and I chanced upon them from Mankind’s myspace page. Looks like they’ve played at cornerstone before, so I think they’re all Christians(?). Regardless, the music is INCREDIBLE, and you can download it for free…
http://www.myspace.com/thedynastywi
Anyone know anything about these guys?
i have With Increases split with Strengthen What Remains, both are solid bands and dudes, i’ve seen Strengthen What Remains twice and the split doesn’t do them justice at all (recording isn’t very good for either band) i’ve heard nothing but good things about the dudes in With Increase from a friend, who sponsors them and a few other like Before There Was Rosalyn, Sin Eater, Pacific Heights, Who Cares, Wild At Heart, and The Abandoned, which are all pretty solid bands, check out the bands and pick up some encouragement crew stuff if you dig it
(www.myspace.com/encoxcrew)
i hadn’t heard of The Dynasty before now but what i listened to on myspace was sweet and will definitely be getting that ep
Hadn’t heard of Pacific Heights, Who Cares or The Abandoned…
Digging on Who Cares – real straight-forward sound. Straight-forward lyrics. “A spade’s a spade” as is said in NZ. The Abandoned are pretty sweet too, nice blend of metal feel into the hardcore, and didn’t seem over the top like a lot of bands do it.
You’re a fountain of new bands, bro I’m digging on that haha.
Was listening to With Increase again as well. They’re good, growing on me!
Thanks for all the recommendations guys!
No problem dude.
Speaking of another band you should DEFINITELY check: I listened to an interview with some of the Jesus Wept guys, and apparently they have enough material for a new album. They have a new lineup (Neil Hatrman has returned, this time playing guitar), and Jon Beckman is on vocals.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=432192970&blogId=522124472
I really hope this gets recorded and released through Strike First. Interested to hear what Jon sounds like as the voice of JW as well.
Ok The Dynasty are officially rad.
The vocalist is a cool dude with good things to say.
Sent him a link to Debtor and he was loving it.
Everyone check them out and get stoked!
http://www.myspace.com/thedynastywi
@sam30, I love Hardcore but am much more into metalcore and metal. Who else you might want reviewed in the next weeks?
Fair call. Different things appeal to different dudes.
Can’t really think of too much that I know of coming up at this point to be honest.
Take some time to enjoy the summer? =P
im gonna get this album tonight… i am stoked on this band.
They just had their first show back with he new lineup. I emailed Alan and he said it was pretty good.
@sam30 check out the now defunct Opposition of One out of Germany. Pretty good stuff http://www.myspace.com/oppositionofone
Haha check above bro. I love me some OOO. Their final album was the pinacle of melodic hardcore for me. Thanks though, I love how you’re looking out for me.
You should check out Attack At Dawn. Beatdown hardcore featuring the guitarists from Bloody Sunday: http://www.myspace.com/attackatdawnva
I think they’re defunct now, but they have their recordings up for free download off one of their myspace blogs. Similar to Cast Aside or Until The End.
OoO was my first hardcore show! Love them!
I think they went in a great direction with their second album. The first was good, but at times almost went a little too n