Drowningman Still Loves You

Drowningman has amassed quite the cult following since the 1998 release of Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline. With their combination of technical metalcore mastery and cleverly titled songs, it is hard not to be won over by the massive force Drowningman brings with them. While Drowningman's intense metalcore image has garnered quite the critical acclaim, the band's desire for melody has always continued along with them. The groups two full-length albums, 1998's Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline and 2000's Rock and Roll Killing Machine, have focused on the band's technical wizardry, but the 2000 EP How They Light Cigarettes in Prison found the band withdrawing precious blood from the emo scene. Drowningman taps back into the emo vein for their 2001 EP, aptly titled Drowningman Still Loves You. Within the five tracks present on this EP, one will find evidence that Drowningman could easily find a career in emotional hardcore if they ever felt the need to transcend genres. Drowningman Still Loves You follows well in the footsteps of past Drowningman releases, welding heartbreaking choruses with the seething fury that is common for this five-piece. Their knack for witty song titles is on display as well, with winners such as "The Unbearable Burden of Always Being Right" and "Living With the Awful Truth That We're Not as Cool as We'd Like Other People to Think We Are." Vocalist Simon Brody is more angry than ever on Still Loves You, managing to make the poppy melodies scattered throughout the five songs seem downright sinister in their beauty. Drowningman once again proves that they are one of the most prominent metalcore bands out there with Still Loves You, an album that wins on all counts. ~ Jason D. Taylor|