Although
Vitro's debut album,
Distort, blends heavy guitar rock with electronic dance beats, samples, and synths, the results don't resemble
Ministry-style industrial metal so much as they do the distinct, accessible sort of hard rock/electronica fusion heard on the soundtracks of youth-oriented action fantasies like Mortal Kombat or Spawn. However,
Vitro manage to make the fusion sound less self-consciously aggressive and more natural, partly by concentrating more on the electronic end of things. But more importantly, they're skilled songwriters too -- they rely on tunefulness rather than texture to put their songs across, which makes the album consistently listenable from start to finish. Sure, "Set It Down" sounds a lot like
Nine Inch Nails, but overall, the band has a subtly unique sound that shows quite a bit of promise for the future -- especially with a debut this well-crafted. ~ Steve Huey