Battle of the Bands: D.R.U.G.S. vs. Chiodos

I’ll admit – I was never really into Chiodos when they were in their heyday (circa 2007), but I have been so into ex-frontman Craig Owens’ new project, D.R.U.G.S. The supergroup also includes Matt Good (ex-From First to Last), Nick Martin (ex-Underminded), Aaron Stern (ex-Matchbook Romance) and Adam Russell (Ex-Story of the Year). For those unfamilar, their sound is basically a blend of all the best post-hardcore I grew up on as a wee highschooler, and it makes me all nostalgic and want to get a razor-cut hairstyle and wear black jelly bracelets, etc.

So I was pretty interested when I found out that one of the post-hardcore anthems on D.R.U.G.S.’ self-titled debut is actually some leftover Chiodos material. What’s more is that the unreleased Chiodos demo, “Thermacare,” was leaked last year shortly after Owens’ departure from the band, and has now resurfaced as D.R.U.G.S.’ “The Only Thing You Talk About.” Chiodos’ track “Stratovolcano Mouth” is also reportedly their version of “Thermacare,” although I find it harder to find the similarities between the two songs than D.R.U.G.S.’ straight-forward version. At least they’re taking their drama out in the music…right? More for us to love!

Check out each band’s version of the song below:

Chiodos – “Thermacare” (Original Unreleased Demo)

D.R.U.G.S. – “The Only Thing You Talk About”

Chiodos – “Stratovolcano Mouth”

You decide: which version of the song is best?