DRAIN : "Living Proof"

I am in the process of trying to catch up on all of the hard core albums I might have missed out on earlier in the year. The first thing that strikes me about how this Santa Cruz band opens their album is how influenced they are by Pantera. They have a punk energy to them, but the second song feels more like thrash meets nu-metal in places, as the first riff has an almost White Zombie like groove to it. The whole song does not hook you in like the first. It's a good thing these songs are averaging around two minutes, so they are not boring me yet despite dishing out much of the same flavor when it comes to "Devil's Itch". It has a cool groove here and there, but the rule for this blog that applies to every genre is "Cool riffs alone does not a good song make". 

I will say I just reviewed the new Buggin album, and I can say these guys are more convincing than the Chicago band. DRAIN is hands down more in your face and aggressive. Their riffs are also more biting. Even when they are throwing them at you in a manner that is not their most inspired. They do cram a great deal of those riffs into these compact songs. Ironically going into "Imposter" they say "imitation is the lowest form of flattery" , which is funny as I would not say these guys are all that original. They have many strengths as a band and originality is not one of those strengths. The hip hop intermission is an odd choice but it does offer another sonic color. The thrash grooves they answer this verse with is pretty stock break down thrash.

The buckle down and head bang into a taunt groove for "Weight of the World" The screamed exclamations of their vocalist work well most of the time, sometimes he drops down into more of a growled accent. Sometimes it is more of a rasped scream. "Watch You Burn" is what metal core meant in the 90s, as it leans into the Pantera vibes again, though coupled with a break down feel. There is actual singing when they cover "Good Good Things" by the Descendants. They should have incorporated more of what makes this work so well, which is melody into the other songs.  The title track that closes the album just stomps to double down on what they have already made it known they do. I will round this down to an 8, might not be the most original thing I have heard, but it is fun.