Drowningman

Few bands have caused as much shit, written as innovative music and lived the rock’n’roll lifestyle (come on down, Simon Brody) as Drowningman. After influential and brilliant releases (predating and easily surpassing foolish terms like "screamo”) such as Rock and Roll Killing Machine and Busy Signal At the Suicide Hotline, not to mention the relentless cynicism and touring, Drowningman called it quits in 2002. But all is not lost, as the band (let by singer Brody) have regrouped, and to coincide with their reformation, Law of Inertia has released this compilation of mostly unreleased tracks. While the majority of the songs are culled from DM’s embryonic years and therefore aren’t as developed in their cohesion (fragmented into dark metallic part, screamy complex part, clean singing part), DM’s then primitive formula still eclipses the multitude of imitators that followed and Brody’s distinct voice (screamed or sung) and sardonic lyrics are still the hopeless man’s poetic salvation, showing the promise of the genius to come. Two of the last tracks DM recorded pre-break-up are also present, "Kiss The Canvas” and "Where The Heart Is,” and while not as vicious as the Killing Machine material, they are still strong. Learn To Let It Go is definitely for DM fans and completists, and isn’t necessarily a great starting point for newbies, but with their recent reformation, there will be a lot more of them soon enough.