The New England metalcore scene is likely one of the maximum underrated but vital actions in heavy steel historical past. It’s from it that we were given the hardcore masters Converge and the genre-agnostic Cave In, then later such New Wave Of American Heavy Steel pioneers as Killswitch Have interaction, Shadows Fall and All That Stays. One band additionally screaming out with very good song from that a part of the arena within the mid-to-late-’90s have been Drowningman.
Despite the fact that their stop-start occupation averted them from ever in reality attaining celebrity standing, Drowningman made some top-shelf metalcore. Their debut, 1998’s Busy Sign At The Suicide Hotline, was once mathematic, melodic and straight-for-the-throat competitive at the very same time. In its fallout, the band signed to punk label Revelation, however after 2nd album Rock And Roll Killing System, they grew upset with their new house.
“We had some problems with Rev after the bungled free up [of Rock And Roll Killing Machine],” singer Simon Brody mentioned at the New Scene podcast in 2023. “Papa Roach requested us to move on excursion, however our label must hire the bus – they didn’t pony up for it. That was once our fucking large shot!”
The band sought after off – on the other hand, they nonetheless had one album left of their contract with Revelation. So, Drowningman moved quickly into the GodCity recording studio in Massachusetts with scenemate, Converge guitarist and manufacturer extraordinaire Kurt Ballou. The specific objective was once to make the worst song they perhaps may, for a challenge satirically titled Best possible Document Ever.
“[Kurt] was once an excessively keen player,” remembered Simon. “On a couple of tracks, he performed some saxophone. He soloed over some 12-bar blues. Kurt conceptualised a tune known as Guitar Heart Duel: it was once someone taking part in [Aerosmith’s] Candy Emotion in a single speaker, badly, and someone taking part in [Led Zeppelin’s] Stairway To Heaven, badly, within the different speaker.”
Thru Kurt, Stephen Brodsky of Cave In additionally stuck wind of this uniquely, wilfully dreadful challenge. “Kurt was once nice for that, as a result of he’s all the time just right for those wild, wacky concepts, like mosh portions with horns and monitoring vocals with a weedwacker,” the singer/guitarist informed this creator in spring 2023. “I feel it was once so horrible that they couldn’t even end it.
“I were given concerned and agreed to give a contribution one thing to The Best possible Document Ever,” he persisted. “I got here up with the theory to hide [David Bowie classic] Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and alter the lyrics to be about Simon Brody. It was once Simon Brody And The Tablet Poppers From Mars. Ben [Koller, Converge’s drummer] performed drums in this bastardised model of Ziggy Stardust… and I be mindful filing it to Kurt. He was once like, ‘That is too just right, guy!’ Ha ha!”
Unsurprisingly, when Drowningman performed the culmination in their labour to Revelation, the label was once not up to delighted. “They have been, uh… now not excited,” mentioned Simon. “We have been on excursion, in our van, and taking part in it to the A&R individual. [Their reaction was] now not nice. They knew what was once coming. They didn’t maintain it.”
Even much less strangely, Best possible Document Ever was once by no means launched. Drowningman then broke up in the summertime of 2002. Despite the fact that the band would in short reform on a handful of events (maximum just lately from 2021 to previous this 12 months), it was once a tragic and untimely finish for an outfit in a position to each improbable metalcore and, it appears, one of the worst sounds to ever shame human ears.
