The UK certainly has its share of melancholy, Doom laden bands. The Peaceville Three notwithstanding, there is a certain musical atmosphere amongst English bands in this genre. They tend to have a subtle romantic undertone coupled with growled, Death Metal vocal delivery and an overall sad, despair ridden vibe without sounding violent. The Drowning is one such band.

Showcasing a mid-tempo, depressing sound, The Drowning sometimes comes off as something of a blend of mid-era Sentenced and early (Death vocal) Katatonia. Neither of these is English, I know. But, were they, they’d sound like The Drowning…if that makes any sense…like England’s twist on Scandinavian Doom/Gothic Metal. There are plenty of melodic guitar lines amidst the riffing, a blend of Death growls and pseudo-Black Metal high-end growls with splashes of clean vocals. The overall vibe of This Bleak Descent is, well, bleak and also sad with a hint of resentful anger (coming from the energy of some of the tempos). Some of the longer songs tend to add an epic feel bordering on traditional Doom Metal, but only placing them in the outer fringes of the genre. “Blackened Weave”, “In Sufferance”, the near 11-minute “Solitary White Ship” and head-banger “Forever Fall” are all well worth digging into.

I think anyone familiar with any of the other bands mentioned in this article have an idea of what to expect here. The Drowning are certainly a band to watch as they are more than capable of leaving a sizeable mark on the scene in years to come. They sound like a band on their way to something more adventurous, and that’s saying something because the music here is quite good as it is.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments