Alpha // Survivor is the rebirth of Drown This City as the band rebuild following a departure of their bandmate. It tells the story of their broken state, their self-healing and their survival across six anthems.
With ‘Don’t Forgot To’ easing into the tension as a 30-second static fade-in, ‘Stay Broken’ is where the album truly kicks in. The erratic drum heartbeat grounds the soaring lead guitar and palm muted heavy breakdowns, while allowing Matthew Beans roar to echo out.
The songs are structured around the delicate yet powerful vocals of Alex Reade, who showcases her intense range and in turn becomes the force behind the songs, the lyrics and the band. Her textured vocals sits in Beans gravel growling like a beanbag, wrapping around the pipes but not smothering them. All tracks sit at this powerful height without putting in the slow track to break things up which works in their favour given the background context.
It is the redemption album for Drown This City and they have emerged as a phoenix perched above their ashes.
4/5
UNFD
Reviewed by Tammy Walters
