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DROWNED
7th

Greyhaze (2018)
Rating: 6/10

Veteran Brazilian band Drowned formed out of Belo Horizonte in the mid-90s, which was probably not the most productive time for metal. However, there’s no denying the staying power of this troupe of stalwarts, who have come equipped with their unimaginatively titled seventh outing.

The troops vocalist Fernando Lima have assembled for this opus – the first Drowned record since 2012’s Belligerent – Part One: The Killing State Of The Art – are up for the fight, especially in the form of drum warlord Beto Loureiro, who pounds his way through the occasion alongside a lethal twin axe attack for good measure.

This is quality death / thrash metal played how it should be; bereft of gimmicks, Drowned just salivate and steam from the off with ‘The Bitter Art Of Detestation’, which comes fully armoured with its war-torn chug and rasping vocal licks. For me, we’re still caught in the web of the 80s South American underground, only this time there’s an air of the polished – if only in that standout chanting chorus and that whining lead. And yet somehow, Drowned bring a power metal-styled flash of exuberance, only to then hammer it down with chunks of gruesome groove metal.

‘Rage Before Some Hope’ builds with similar grinding juggernaut rhythm as the guitar twinges force themselves into the mesh of punishing speed and those gnarly vocals. Meanwhile, ‘Toothless Messiah’ offers an immediate, soaring melody, and again we have those ascending vocal roars before the combo embarks on a grizzly, rolling groove-fest. But as this cut takes hold I’m aware of a glimmering flaw. For some reason, throughout every instrument the production feels a tad underwhelming, the barrages constructed lacking a dollop of oomph. With that being said, however much the band seethes through, say, ‘Murder, Sex, Hate, And More…’ or the simmering suspense of ‘Damaged Wood Coffin’, the aggression seems somewhat subdued, only Lima seeming to batter his way through what are restrictions to the rest of the party.

Sure, all of the 11 tracks offered are decent death / thrash compositions, but they all suffer the same fate; they seem somehow watered down so that the leads seem damp, the chugs lack spite and the vocals underwhelm. It’s such a disappointment, and an obvious discrepancy, too. At times (‘Elitist Heaven Ruled By Devil’, ‘Timebomb Conscience’ et al) I really had to turn the volume up, simply craving to be cut by the grumbling bass or the guitar attacks which transformed more into ineffective jabs.

With this style of music, production is key, whether creating something fusty and old school, or contemporary and cutting. For me, there’s just not enough malice displayed throughout 7th, as evidenced with ‘KRH317’ where the bass and guitar lack hostility.

Drowned’s latest – although far from being an exhausted affair – seems to have been let down by the button pushers; what should have been a belligerent and feisty outing seems all too controlled and reserved, and that’s a shame.

Neil Arnold

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