Downtrodn Missing In Distraction / 2004 Same Old Shoes / 14 Tracks / http://www.downtrodn.com / Reviewed 07 January 2006

While a track like 12th Street has somewhat of a nod to Pennywise, there is a fury behind Downtrodns music that goes well beyond that skater punk. The chorus present on 12th Street is beyond reproach; there is no doubt that the infectious quality of it will inspire mosh pits and pogoing the likes of which the world has never seen. What is the biggest hook for Downtrodn is their mixture of traditional metal riffs with punk; of all the tracks on Missing In Distraction, the track that best exemplifies this is Grounded. Grounded has a subject matter and overall sound that approximates The Misfits, but with a sort of freshness about it that The Misfits can never enjoy owing to their dated sound.

Each of the tracks is done with a professionalism to them that would allow for heavy radio rotation should the right individual find it; Blue Devil even ups the ante further in that the chorus is catchy, the guitar work immaculate, and a listener cannot help but be ensnared by Downtrodn here. What really distinguishes Downtrodn from the mass of other punk bands currently out on the market is that there is a smart consideration of the arrangements that lead every track. Instead of inserting the same three or four chord type of thing into every track on Missing In Distraction, Downtrodn mixes up different bits of instrumentation to keep their sound fresh in the ears of all the listeners that stumble upon the disc. What should impress listeners the most is the infusion of a walking bass line during Drafted, something that really gives Downtrodn a sound that screams Rawhide instead of Anarchy in the U.K..

There is actually some meat to Missing In Distraction; the album will not simply shit out after twenty minutes, but sticks around tenaciously for over a half-hour to arouse, impress, and attack listeners. October 15th is the next big break-out track for Downtrodn, relying heavily on a set of metal-infused guitar riffs (a la Sum 41) for the bulk of the track, but also relying heavily on the fury provided by the drums to really make the track. Downtrodn is the rare example of a band that can actually put forth the same sort of energy that theyve been known for live in their studio album, and there is no doubt in my mind that this album is getting high amounts of play throughout Columbus, Ohio and wherever else they have sent CDs.

Top Tracks: America Lost, October 15th

Rating: 7.0/10

[JMcQ]

(found on www.neufutur.com/Reviews/downtrodn.html )

Downtrodn
Missing in Distraction
(Pitfall)

This is one of the better punk discs I've heard come out of midwest. 
Fourteen two minute tracks that don't lose their edge and the lyrics 
are 
just as sharp. With anthemic lines like "we just a place to riot" or 
"this is what they call American life" it's easy to see that this three 
piece has a future. Eighteen summer tour dates will bring Downtrodn out 
to the west coast in July and you can count me among the crowd. -er

So Aaron and I were smoking a few cigarettes outside the practice space today talking about all the stuff that's going on with the band and it was decided that maybe a little update on here might be a good idea just in case one of you wants to know. Luckily I couldn't sleep through tenth grade typing class. It's almost the end of January and that doesn't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things but it's time for another random Downtrodn update

So here we go again.......Coming up in March (March 16th-March 26th) we will be doing a tour with our kick ass friends GIRLUSH FIGURE. The dates are being updated on our calander as they solidify but It's starting out in Pittsburgh on March 16th. Then we're coming back through good 'ol Columbus for St. Patty's day with GIRLUSH FIGURE, LEGBONE , and THE BLOODY IRISH BOYS (the band that all of DOWNTRODN is a part of), Then it's Punk Nite in Troy with the same lineup before we leave Ohio to continue the tour, I believe it's  Ending in Ken's homeland of West Virginia. Check the show schedule for further updates.

In June or July We are going back out for another month on the road heading west to the coast and back. This time It will be the normal lineup of DOWNTRODN since Ken is Coming with us now that his father is in good health.

We are also heading back up to our buddy Mitch from LEGBONE's house to seriously jumpstart our website with all his wicked computer knowledge. Things on the list to be done (Merch Page, Hell of a lot more pictures, and whatever we think up after a few drinks)

That's all I can think of for now so until we meet again.....

Daeron 

SO THE INSOMNIAC DRUMMER AND KING OF RAMBLES IS HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR RECENT TRAVELS. A FEW PROBLEMS LED TO "ALL OR NOTHING HC"'s DRUMMER TOMMY NEEDING TO GO HOME AND SINCE WE WERE GOING ON TOUR WITH THEM ANYWAY IT WAS  DECIDED I SHOULD PLAY DRUMS FOR THEM FOR THE REST OF THE TOUR. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF JAMMING WITH THEM WE HAD A SHORT SET BUT A SHORT SET IS BETTER THAN HAVING TO GO HOME. SO WE ALL HIT THE ROAD THAT THURSDAY TOWARDS NEW YORK FOR OUR FIRST STOP OF THE TOUR (A SHOW AT CBGB's ON FRIDAY MAY 27th) TRAFFIC WAS A MOTHER FUCKER AND A HALF BUT WE MADE IT DOWN WITH TIME TO SPARE AND WE ALL HUNG OUT IN FRONT FOR A BIT THEN WANDERED AROUND BEFORE GOING BACK IN TIME FOR THE SHOW.

 FOR THAT NIGHT AND EVERY OTHER NIGHT ON THE TOUR I DID THE SET WITH ALL OR NOTHING AND THEN THE SET WITH US. AND ALL THE SHOWS WERE A BLAST SO I'M NOT SAYING IT AGAIN.

US AND "ALL OR NOTHING "ENDED UP IN AN ALL NIGHT PIZZA PLACE IN NEW ROCHELLE AND WE ALL SLEPT IN OUR RESPECTIVE TOUR VANS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN NEW YORK AND PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND WHERE OUR SHOW FOR SATURDAY THE 28th WAS. AFTER THE SHOW AND WHILE THE BANDS WERE LOADING OUT A BIG FIGHT ERUPTED OUT IN FRONT OF THE VFW.... WE ALL LOADED OUR VANS AS FAST AS WE COULD WHEN THE ROCKS STARTED FLYING, KNIFE CAME OUT AND BLOOD STARTED TO DRIP ON THE SIDEWALK. WE ALL CRASHED AT THIS REALLY COOL GIRL NAMED ANDREA's HOUSE ACROSS TOWN AND I SLEPT IN THE VAN WITH A BASEBALL BAT SO EVERYONE WOULD FEEL A LITTLE BETTER ABOUT STAYING IN TOWN. NEXT WE WERE OFF TO BOSTON WHERE AFTER THE RAIN WE GOT TO WALK AROUND AND SEE THE CITY WITH OUR TOUR GUIDE BILL FROM TOXIC NARCOTIC. THE GIG WAS A GOOD OLD FASHIONED BASEMENT SHOW WITH A BBQ GOING ON OUTSIDE.

MONDAY (MEMORIAL DAY) IT WAS BACK TO NEW YORK AND A SHOW AT SIN-E. IT WAS A STRANGELY MIXED SHOW BUT A GOOD FUCKING TIME AS WE ALWAYS MANAGE TO HAVE. THE NEXT DAY WE PLAYED HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA WITH OUR BUDDIES "COMMON ENEMY".LAST TIME WE SAW THEM BEFORE THAT WAS HERE IN TOWN AND THEY WERE GETTING READY TO GO HOME FROM THE SHOW IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLIZZARD. ANYWAY...WEDNESDAY WAS JERSEY (WHERE I ONCE SWORE WE'D NEVER GO AGAIN) AND WE GOT TO SEE OUR BUDDY PAULIE BEFORE HE WAS DRIVEN OFF BY THE CRAZY DRUNK GIRL AT THE BAR THAT WAS TRYING TO PICK UP ANYONE WITH A COCK AND A PULSE. OR FROM THE STORIES OF BLACK MAGIC SHE WAS SPOUTING MAYBE A PULSE DIDN'T MATTER. OUR SHOW IN AKRON WAS CANCELLED SO THE NEXT DAY WE ALL DROVE BACK TO NEW YORK TO ACTUALLY HANG AROUND AND WE TOOK THE SUBWAY FROM THE BRONX TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY SO KEN COULD TAKE A PICTURE FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND. I ENJOYED THE SUBWAY, TOO BAD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AROUND HERE SUCKS ASS.

FRIDAY WAS BUFFALO AND SINCE WE ALL HAD THE TIME WE WENT OVER TO NIAGARA FALLS AND LOOKED AT WATER BEFORE THE THREE OF US GOT BORED AND JUST WENT TO THE HORROR WAX MUSEUM. WE PLAYED AT A NICE INDOOR SKATEPARK AND HEADED OFF TOWARDS CHICAGO IN THE RAIN LATER THAT NIGHT.

CHICAGO WAS SATURDAY JUNE 4th AND THE LAST SHOW OF THE TOUR. IT WAS AT THE ICE HOUSE. I DIDN'T CATCH ALL THE BAND'S NAMES BUT "MINORITY ONE" STARTED THE NIGHT OFF AND BLEW A FUSE.AND ROCKED IT RIGHT. THEN "THE MANHANDLERS" KILLED THE PLACE. I PLAYED MY LAST SET AS A TEMPORARY MEMBER OF "ALL OR NOTHING HC" THEN WE PLAYED. IT WAS PROBABLY THE HOTTEST PLACE I'VE EVER PLAYED AND THE PLACE WAS PACKED. WE FINISHED STRONG AND I  WALKED OFF STAGE SOAKED WITH SWEAT LIKE ALL DRUMMERS DO I GUESS. AS IRONY LIKES TO REAR IT'S HEAD WE FINALLY DIDN'T HAVE TO CARAVAN TOWARDS THE NEXT STOP AND WERE HANING OUT WITH SOME WICKED PEOPLE BUT KEN NEEDED TO GET HOME FOR HIS GIRLFRIENDS GRADUATION SO SADLY AND VERY VERY RELUCTANTLY I GOT IN THE VAN. THE TOUR WAS OVER, ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS TO GET HOME BY MORNING. I HATE THAT FEELING ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE ROAD. IT'S LIKE COMING DOWN FROM A LONG TRIP OR WAKING UP FROM A REALLY GOOD DREAM.

SO NOW WE'RE HOME FOR THE TIME BEING. A FEW SHOWS AROUND OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA  THEN WE'RE OFF FOR THE U.S. TOUR AT THE BEGINNING OF JULY.

THERE'S A LOT MORE I COULD HAVE SAID BUT IF YOU EVEN MADE IT THIS FAR I AM IMPRESSED. UNTIL NEXT TIME....

YOURS

DAERON