I was familiar with Drain thanks to them being name-dropped by fellow Santa Cruz Hardcore outfit Scowl, whose Psychic Dance Routine EP I had the good fortune of reviewing recently. Therefore when the promo list came round and I spotted Living Proof (Epitaph Records) on there, it was simply too good an opportunity to pass up.
A four-piece formed in 2015, Drain consist of Sammy Ciaramitaro – vocals, Cody Chavez – guitar, new bassist AJ Hoenigs, and drummer Tim Flegal. Prior to Living Proof, the band had released 2020’s acclaimed full-length debut California’s Cursed, which in turn was preceded by the Time Enough at Last and Overthinking EPs. The album art is accurately indicative of a band who in the promo notes are described as “good, friendly violent fun”, an oxymoron if ever there was one (Editor’s note -sweet Exodus reference by the PR team).
Seeing as some members of Drain were also in the much-missed Gulch, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise then if parts of ‘Run Your Luck’ recall that band. However, Drain by contrast is more groove orientated and in a manner that makes one think of a hardcore version of Pantera (especially with Sam’s Phil Anselmo-style screams). ‘FTS (KYS)’ is akin to NYHC legends Merauder (it wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Master Killer) and I was also reminded of vintage eighties thrash ala Nuclear Assault and Metallica resulting in a certified modern-day Crossover classic.
‘Devil’s Itch’ reminds the listener of early Biohazard, ‘Man With a Promise’ as well as Sick of It All‘s ‘Just Look Around’, along with moments of sheer abandon, with an Exodus-style party vibe particularly coming to the fore making the track a heap of fun to listen to. ‘Evil Finds Light’ with both its title and technicality seems to come from the Suicidal family of bands, (see Excel, No Mercy, Beowulf etc) but with a more contemporary twist. The guitar playing particularly reminded me of the Rocky George/Mike Clark dream team during Suicidal Tendencies’ heyday.
‘Imposter’ offers up yet more meaty riffage with a seriously cool All Out War feel that may have me digging out my neglected copy of For Those Who Were Crucified while ‘Intermission’ starts with some slick R’n’B before crunchy rap metal comes straight to the fore. It’s far from essential but makes for a cool breather nonetheless.
‘Weight of the World’ is a beast, make that a monster of a track, the weight part of the title feeling especially applicable here such is its crushing effect. Again inevitable comparisons can be drawn to Merauder with possible tips of the hat to Madball too, meanwhile ‘Watch You Burn’ (released as a ‘preview’ single back in 2021) is like Slayer during their controversial Diabolus In Musica cycle due to its flirtations with nu-metal and even Earth Crisis in their Slither phase. That may sound like a recipe for disaster but fear not as it is tastefully done.
We get to see a lighter side to the band with their cover of The Descendent’s classic ‘Good Good Things’ which stays pretty faithful to the original but with a little more oomph and aggression injected into proceedings and finally ‘Living Proof’ features a cowbell (!) and is a mid-paced number that helps conclude the album in a fairly downbeat manner but one that yet feels strangely appropriate somehow.
As with Scowl, Drain are forging their own path what with their occasional stylistic detours that help keep things interesting, but they also remember to stay faithful both to their roots and Hardcore’s own rich legacy.
A highly recommended release fo’ sure.
Buy the album here:
https://drain.ffm.to/livingproof
8 / 10
REZA MILLS