Title: World Unraveled
Genre: Death Metal
Year: 3rd February 2017
Time: 9 min
Rating: 70/100
I have to say that, thanks to my article about "Primordial Malignity" of the Canadians Tomb Mold, I received many review submissions. In fact, bands like Gravewards (GRE), Acedia Mundi (FRA) or these Draghkar contacted me after that review. Today I'll talk you about these ones, that are a very enthusiast duo from California heavily influenced by the same Finnish death metal adored by Tomb Mold. Draghkar is a surprising band because their first demo "World Unraveled", initially self-released in digital way and recorded in January 2017 with the mixing and the mastering made by Derek Orthner of the Canadians Begrime Exemious, before was reprinted on demotape by the Thai label Witchhammer Productions and, then, has drawn attention to the fantastic Blood Harvest Records with the result that Draghkar are now into its roster just as Tomb Mold. In brief, BW and AK, helped during the recordings by the session bassplayer Todd Bilsborough of the one-man black metal band Idomeneo, looks to be very ambitious...and with a good reason because their "World Unraveled" is Amazing!
BW said to me that Draghkar are influenced very much by Finnish death metal bands like Abhorrence, Funebre and Cartilage as well by US monsters like Autopsy and Incantation, and the nice thing is that you can hear all these influences into this demo called "World Unraveled"! In fact, Draghkar plays a kind of incredibly dark death metal where destructive blasting assaults (represented to the fullest by "Cowering in the Town of Blinded Eyes", surely the most violent song also due to its lenght of only 2 minutes and 30 seconds circa) are alternated frequently with very sinister and macabre slow tempos (like in the obsessive and pachydermatous finale of the opening track "Wings Over Malkier"), without forgetting some little black metal derivations here and there. But, in general, every song shows a good dynamicity and many tempo changes, especially the conclusive "World Unraveled", so unpredictable and schizophrenic also because, thanks to a very good drummer like AK, it contains some groovy mid tempos and even some scrappy fast punkish moments à la Autopsy/Gouge. Then, BW is awesome since he is able to give a more tenebrous vibe to the entire music through his frightfully lacerated growls à la Craig Pillard, very effective because they fit for the world of total darkness and hate described into the lyrics.
Speaking about these ones, "World Unraveled" is, if I am not mistaken, a concept-demo. Yes, because it tells the tormented story of a young boy that, disappeared by misterious entities while he was sleeping into the Blight, a "land defiled by the touch of darkness" ("Shadows Over Malkier"), arises "from the dust and hate" "to inflict evil to the world" as a Slayer "hunter of wolves and master of black dreams" eager to "escape his childhood" ("Cowering in the Town of Blinded Eyes"), defeating, at the end, the Wolfbrother, a wolf man.
Said all this, we are in presence of a band that knows what they are doing playing a death metal that is dark and, in certain ways, also oppressive considering that, throughout the 3 songs of "World Unraveled", there are no traces of lead guitars. But shame for its very short lenght since it lasts only 9 minutes that goes (too) smooth and pleasant to hear. So, now that Draghkar are supported by a strong underground label like Blood Harvest that's repriting their demo, I can't wait for some new stuff of this promising band...and I wonder if they will deepen the concept of the demo a little bit further into their new songs?
Tracklist:
1 - Shadows Over Malkier
2 - Cowering in the Town of Blinded Eyes
3 - World Unraveled
Line-up:
BW - vocals/guitars
Todd Bilsborough (session) - bass
AK - drums
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/DraghkarBand/
Witchhammer Prod: http://whpkult.com/
Blood Harvest: http://www.bloodharvest.se/
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