EP review: BLACKWATER DROWNING – Delusionary

www.facebook.com/blackwaterdrowning

If you haven’t heard the name Blackwater Drowning yet, don’t be alarmed. They’re very new on the scene and haven’t had the chance to make their presence known in the metal world. That’s what I intend to do for them as a small thank you for their amazing music.

Hailing from Salisbury, NC, Blackwater Drowning is a culmination of local bands who have come together to create a heavy, powerful, melodic, and progressive sound in metal that few bands are capable. Taking elements from many aspects of metal, they have made something so truly spectacular and unique that they’re bound to set the metal world on its ear.

Releasing their deput EP Delusionary, the band, in such a short span of time, have managed to put out an amazingly strong first release. I love how they combine such brutally extreme vocals counter balanced with such a soulful clean voice supplied by Morgan Riley, propulsive bass work by Aria Novi (who also supplies some back up growls,) precision guitar mastery from Brady Bowles and Jeremy Bennet both guitarists delivering crushing riffs and blazing solos, and a frenetic drum machine in Steve Beaver, you have a perfect combination of musicians working together to create a sound that offers bits of death, melodic, industrial, and hints of traditional metal.

From the crushing title track to the brilliant opener “Deity” to the chaotic “Liar” this album is short in nature, but long in intensity. Produced, mixed and masterd by Giant Spoon Productions, and independently released, this album is a monster achievement for this wonderful band.

If Delusionary is any indication of what this band is capable of this early on, the sky is the limit for them in the future. Without a doubt all this band needs is to get picked up by the right people and they will be able to easily win over multitudes of fans as they have with me. If you like your music delivered to you with a brutal velvet fist, Blackwater Drowning is the band for you. Intense, passionate, and melodic- this album delivers on all levels and will be a contender for a favorite of the year for me for sure. *****

Review by Chris Martin

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