Drain STH
Freaks of Nature
(Mercury)
by Andy Henson
The two year wait was well worth it! Upon hearing the first track from the new
Drain STH album, Freaks Of Nature, the four ladies from Sweden had me hooked.
"Enter My Mind" starts things off with a loop that will make you wonder if the
band has gone electronica, but once you're hit with the main riff, you know their
powerful signature sound is still very much intact.
The group's strong points have intensified on this album, and were strengthened
through constant touring with the likes of Type O Negative, Sevendust, and on
the mighty Ozzfest '97 tour. They have succeeded in making the crunchy parts even
heavier, while expanding upon their melodic side with catchy hooks that will easily
get stuck in your head for days. The dark, haunting vocal blend of Maria Sjoholm
(vocals), Anna K (bass), and Martina Axen (drums) is prominent throughout Freaks
Of Nature, and mixes perfectly with the crushing guitar sounds of Flavia Canel
to create their beautifully dark works of sonic art.
Freaks Of Nature incorporates a few new and surprising elements, missing from
their debut, Horror Wrestling. "Alive" rocks with a new faster intensity, and
the songs "I Wish" and "Right Through You" have radio hit written all over them.
There are even a few hip-hop samples on "Simon Says." "Black" is reminiscent of
Pantera's "5 Minutes Alone," but with a haunting vocal melody to soothe the savage
riff. More electronica loops are incorporated into "Crave" and "Leech," separating
the group from the new batch of heavy bands who borrow Alice In Chains' dark,
melodic crunch. All songs definitely have the Drain STH sound, but "Get Inside"
and "I Will Follow" sound closest to their first album.
Drain STH are currently on the Ozzfest '99 tour where they can be heard road testing
their new material along with crowd (moshpit!) favorites from Horror Wrestling.
I have seen them five times and the ladies have been excellent each time. I wonder
if Drain STH would be considered for the Lilith Fair tour? Probably not!
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