Style: Atmospheric sludge metal, post-metal, black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Neurosis, Inter Arma, Isis
Review by: Jonah
Country: Spain
Release date: 31 May 2019
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was originally published in the May 2019 issue of The Progressive Subway.]
Okay so this album is really good. There’s been a recent boom in blackened sludge and it’s making me incredibly happy, as there’s some absolute gold to be found in the genre. Between Mizmor (listen to it it’s great) and now this Adrift album, I’m just rolling in charred, sludgy goodness.
Anyway, Adrift plays something that I would consider the bastard child of Isis’s particular brand of post/sludge and some kind of wonderfully harsh black metal. The resulting child is equal parts massively distorted riffs, grinding and pounding bass guitar, and ear-rending vocal shrieks that are interspersed with just enough lovely atmosphere to keep you from suffocating on the heaviest bits.
The rhythm section really shines on this album. The bass is incredibly audible, and constantly present providing fast, driving riffs that either complement or alternate with the guitar riffs to make this wonderfully thick background to some truly exceptional drumming. In the occasions where the bass becomes the real core focus of the songs it really shines though, like in the latter half of Pure. In these moments the massive tone and intricate riffing make an instrument that is usually more of a backdrop for guitar really shine as a lead piece in the music. The guitar is often used as more of an accent piece than a focus on many of these songs, but the emotional weight of the lead parts is incredibly well used. The vocals are relatively unchanging throughout the album, but they work very well for the style and I think are quite successful in the mid-to-high shrieked register they use. The production is also incredibly crisp.
All in all I really have minimal complaints if any about this album. It’s very, very good, and absolutely worth a listen for any fans of post or sludge that don’t mind a little bit of extra blackness in their tunes.
Recommended tracks: Pure, Mist, The Call
You may also like: The Atlas Moth, Mizmor
Final verdict: 9/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent
Adrift is:
– Jorge García (vocals, guitars)
– David López (guitars)
– Dani Chavero (bass)
– Jaime García (drums)
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