Not for you Britney fans..
06/10/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I can't believe how much I have come to like this album. If you are a fan of any type of hard music you would be foolish not to give this a try. Most of the predictable music cluttering up the hard music scene of today (MTV and underground) can't compare to this. Whether you're from the Staind and Korn or the 18 Visions and Walls of Jericho side of the fence you will find this a refreshing change. Simon Brody is one of the best vocalists in hard music today, foregoing vomit growls or castrato screaming cliches, he double tracks his vocals and pummels you into oblivion with a voice that is truly unique. Each of the two guitar players is panned to a side and this allows you to hear what each of them is doing. You won't hear any tired metal or hardcore sounds here. The guitarists make songs that sound like purely deconstructed remnants of traditional music theory. They forego the super low tunings, octaves, one fingered power chords and speed picking on every note for jazzy sounding chords and arpeggios saturated with fuzzy distortion. While most hard bands have two guitarists playing the same parts, these guys never play the same thing at any one time, but instead play parts that are complimentary in a way I've never heard used in music this loud or intense. Shove aside all that weak "metal" you're listening to nowadays and pick this up. I don't even like hard music that much and this is still one of my favorite albums. Just proves that a hard band can have some melody and still be angry in the process. Melody and talent don't always mean "wussy.""
Killer, indeed
Wheelchair Assassin | The Great Concavity | 12/31/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In an age when the music world is beset by legions of lame nu-metal bands pretending to be heavy and angry, Drowningman are the real thing. Oh, and they have lots of talent too, an area in which nu-metal bands are notoriously deficient. "Rock and Roll Killing Machine" is a harsh, abrasive juggernaut of an album, filled with the fits of rage and zany rhythms that are the hallmark of the noisecore genre. With noisy guitars veering in a new direction every five seconds or so and drumming that follows no discernible pattern, Drowningman churn out one unsettling and unpredictable song after another on this compact, efficient album. Leading the charge is madman vocalist Simon Brody, who can make your ears bleed with the expected throat-ripping screams and even throw a curveball with some occasional clean vocals, enabling the band to explore a greater musical and emotional range than the typical noise outfit. The title track and "Code Breaking Hearts" are classics of the highest order, starting out with unbridled speed and aggression before adroitly mixing in some melodic passages until you give up trying to figure out what's coming and just enjoy the ride. Other songs aren't quite as good, but this album always provides an interesting listen. Highly recommended."