by Christophe Pauly
– Sr. Photojournalist —
Among the multitude of bands that exist in the United States, Blackwater Drowning is a band from Salisbury, N.C., that you’ll certainly appreciate a lot. The band delivers a mix of genres between Metalcore and Death Metal, which is quite interesting to discover.
The band’s lineup is Morgan Riley (vocals), Aria Novi (bass), Brady Bowles and Jeremy Bennet (guitars) and Chris Peavy (drums). They all knew each other as each performed in bands within the same region. When their respective bands split, they simply decided to join together, and so Backwater Drowning was born. The band has just released a good EP titled Delusionary. It’s produced, mixed and mastered by Giant Spoon Productions.
The EP begins with “Deity,” which opens with dynamic rhythmic patterns. The drummer plays like a metronome, and the guitars’ sound is punchy. You can hear that this band already has a lot of experience and knows which direction to take. The music is heavy and Riley’s vocals are hellacious. The band is impressing and masters this domain. The band also offers many great melodies within the context of the vocals, and Riley offers a remarkable vocal range whenever it’s needed. The chorus is different, contrastsing perfectly with the more rhythmic verses. The guitarists provide solid soloing throughout.
Next up is “Easy Prey,” with an impressive introduction by the drums. This song has a different color, with more melodic riffs and Riley’s pleasant clean vocals. Then, it all becomes heavier and Riley’s voice changes to angry shouts. At the 2-minute mark, the song changes to something with more groove. It’s interesting to focus your attention on the individual performance of each musician, each playing with confidence. The eponym song of the album comes next. This is a chaotic one, and it’s more in the same genre as the biggest bands in Metalcore. “Delusionary” is a kick-ass song, and the band delivers it’s best here. Rhythm variations bring additional dynamics to the song. Blackwater Drowning has some solid technical skills and raises the bar high.
In the middle of this EP, the next song, “Liar Inside,” is made for head-bangers. It’s a fast and powerful song that is perfect for some having a good time in a circle pit. The EP becomes even better song after song.
“Making Glass” is a more peculiar song that starts with an electro introduction, but it changes to a Metal song with more technical riffs in the same fashion as a Fear Factory tune. Then, it becomes more groovy and easy to appreciate. The song’s peculiar chorus seems to sound like Korn. The band sounds really awesome in the second part of the song, which offers a very heavy groove.
Riley and her bandmates like to bring many variations into the compositions to make them more entertaining and enjoyable.
As everything has an end, “Ruthless,” is the sixth and last song of this incredible EP. The band delivers something good and brutal here. It seems that everyone gave their maximum effort on the song to end the EP on a positive note.
Delusionary is an awesome record. The band’s skills are impressive, and the production is solid. The riffs are catchy, and the drummer’s parts reinforce the dynamics of the songs.
Go out and grab Blackwater Drowning’s EP. If you don’t know this band yet, you are going to love it, for sure.
Genre: Metalcore, Death Metal
Band:
Morgan- Vocals,
Jeremy- Guitar,
Brady- Guitar,
Aria- Bass/vocals,
Chris- Drums
Track Listing:
Deity
Easy Prey
Delusionary
Liar Inside
Making Glass
Label: Independent
Web: https://www.reverbnation.com/blackwaterdrowning
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10