Hide the children from this one, it will most definitely give them nightmares. Words can not express the kind of sonic mayhem created by band. Their disjointed sound is tighter than size 28 waist pants on a fat man. Is that an oxymoron? Hell no, it’s a wondeful originality. DROWNINGMAN’s world is dark and mysterious – filled with broken hearts, bruised bones, and crushed spirits. This is the kind of music produced by those who have the door slammed into their face on more than a few occaisions. The blood curdling screams of Simon Brody are something of a miracle. Brody’s vocal chords must be of the extra strength variety. The mechanics of such a band are stupifying. My jaw dropped often with each timing change, each double bass fill, and with each start / stop / start again / stop again / and then go backwards. This is the hardcore version of a chainsaw with a few nuts a bolts loosened. The song titles in their own right can tire a reader. My personal favorites included, “Last weeks minutes from the meeting of the secret society of your friends who actually hate you,” and “The truly dangerous nature of a man who doesn’t care if he lives or dies.” Saving this disc from becoming a victim of its own relentlessness are the few melodic breakdowns where Mr. Brody exhibits his vocal range, singing a few passionate verses here and there. When you least expect it, everything calms down, and then before you can say sassafrass, you’re caught up in the whirlwind again. Brian McTernan, producer extroadinaire stapled his name on this release as being the one and only person possibly able to convert this chaos into a cohesive unit. Besides sounding flawless, the packaging is stark and stunning at the same time. With splatters of blood and knocked out teeth set in an all white background, the art screams of punishment. Some people have faulted this band for trying to encompass too many genres into one ball of sound, and these people just haven’t realized the magnitude of DROWNINGMAN’s artistic death. If you happen to like bands such as FAITH NO MORE, DILLENGER ESCAPE PLAN, GLASSJAW, and CONVERGE, then DROWNINGMAN deserve to be a part of your collection. One of the most expressive displays musical talent in a long while. I have no choice but to recommend to those itching for an extra edge.

Revelation Records

www.revelationrecords.com