Originally written by Chris Redar
Those little ‘flyers’ that come at the top of Relapse albums are always so misleading. Call of the Void’s placard would have you believe that the band seamlessly merges Pig Destroyer and Napalm Death. It’s not entirely untrue- this is somewhat of a grind affair, and the lyrics are mostly political. Where Dragged Down strays from this comparison is in the intensity and variety departments, and it strays big time.
“Failure” opens up strongly enough, with a tight little drum fill leading into some grind action. And it’s some pissed off grind, too, with some even more pissed off hardcore towards the end. Unfortunately, most of the album follows the recipe of this song and forgets to add the vinegar. “Bottom Feeder” is an absolute kick to the balls for about 40 seconds, and then the band decided that there should be another minute or so of pointless hardcore mosh stuff at the end. They also just kind of stop playing at the end too, which is another downfall for the album: it feels like half of the songs aren’t over, but Call of the Void was tired of playing them.
Another thing working against Dragged Down is the lead section. The drums are tight enough for this kind of music, and at points they’re somewhat pummeling. The guitar and vocal department simply don’t keep up. In fact, telling these songs apart is rather difficult due to the lack of memorable riffs. And Steve Vanica’s delivery and range definitely have more in common with Jamey Jasta than Barney Greenway or J.R. Hayes.
It’s not exactly the worst album ever. It’s just so predictable that it can be frustrating to listen to. Your brain will already be hearing the next hardcore drum breakdown during the current blast section. It’s also kind of a short ride, which might not be such a bad thing, even though closer “Faith and Filth” feels like the start of another, better album. Here’s to hoping that these Colorado lads can assemble songs of that caliber on the next one, because as it stands, this is mostly a forgettable affair.
