Soul Dragger – Soul Dragger
Time To Kill Records
Release Date: 07/02/2020
Running Time: 47:18
Review By Tammy Lomax
9/10
There has been a tremendous amount of negativity floating around social media recently and it’s a shame considering all the good that goes unrecognized! So, allow me to distract you for a moment and inject something good into your lives.
Italian Modern Metallers Soul Dragger are clouting us with their debut, self-titled, album which was released back in February via Time To Kill Records and It follows their EP “Before Chaos”, released in 2018. It was produced by Marco Mastrobuono (Hour Of Penance, Fleshgod Apocalypse) and their sound has been compared to such heavyweights as Machine Head, Trivium and Testament!
“Soul Dragger” is a fantastically agile album that will kick your teeth right in.
‘Rise’ opens the album and because I am a Soul Dragger virgin, I have no idea what awaits. However, it is well balanced and opens the album soundly. There is technical guitar playing with a fast thrash feel and I already feel assured that these guys will bring all the cream. ‘Damnati Memoriae’ swings in next and it’s incredibly good. It’s a bulkier and chunkier track. Vocalist ‘Alex’ is diverse, he executes some really decent metal growls, and throws some lighter noted vocals into the mix too. They are a fitting match to the rest of the music being played.
‘Angel’ enters, and it is so fast. I’m keeping up though and I have started to mould myself into the Soul Dragger vibe, I’m beginning to understand their message. Every instrument is being played impeccably. Intensity starts to build up about halfway in and when a slower riff hits my ears, I start to headbang to the vegetables that I’m preparing for dinner; they also approve! ‘Maid And The Beast’ breaks the album up, however I feel it’s a little too soon to place a ballad in the album. You’ll need to get your lighters out for this one though, because it’s still emotional. The lyrics make sense to me in a personal way and it pulls at my heart strings.
If you are listening along whilst reading this then I hope you are well recovered because from here, everything is going to mess you all up, a lot more! Carrying over the feelings from ‘Maid And The Beast’ the album reaches another stage of awesomeness. ‘Everyday’ gears you up ready for when instrumental track ‘Before Chaos’ plays. With the vocals out of the equation you can hear hefty amounts of talent on display. I love drummer Flavio’s double kick footwork; he is very good. What a great opportunity for Soul Dragger’s musicians to express their talents. They are alert, energetic and more particularly, on point.
‘Alone’ is a great addition to the album. The more it plays, the more it grows on me. Firing in an angelic chorus which battle the ripping roars of the verse, adding the best guitar solo and… I feel all fluffy. It’s a shame there wasn’t more clean singing because, wow, what a voice! By this point I literally want to kick the air, my emotions are flying all over the place. ‘War Nightmare’ is next and it is relentless. I feel totally armed and ready for war, Souls Dragger just keep pounding and pounding… breathe Tammy… Jesus!
‘Soul Dragger’, the track, keeps the pace of the album going. There are some awesome screamed vocals, it is a buoyant track, bouncing you about all over the place. I love how quickly it’s projected straight at my throat and just wants to cause straight up carnage. ‘Death ‘n’ Destruction’ highlights exactly how versatile Soul Dragger are, it’s emotional again but in a different way, it brings out all the inner demons. hammering, breaking you up bit by bit and it is dark. ‘Collapse’ closes the album, and wow, what a journey. It’s just as ripping and consistent as the rest of the tracks, I am finally full, right to the brim. Absolutely fantastic work.
This has literally blown my everything off and I am now a new fan of Soul Dragger. They smash through the album with sheer energy. It’s fresh, experimental, combining the old and new, and has some brutal components.
Let’s recognize positivity and what better way to do it than through music ❤.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Rise
02. Damnati Memoriae
03. Angel
04. Maid And The Beast
05. Everyday
06. Before Chaos
07. Alone
08. War Nightmare
09. Soul Dragger
10. Death ‘n’ Destruction
11. Collapse
LINE-UP:
Alessio ‘Alex’ Pompedda – Vocals, Guitar
Davide ‘Spol’ Spoletini – Guitar
Jacopo ‘Jake’ Gennaro – Bass, Backing Vocals
Flavio ‘Imperatore” Leone – Drums
LINKS:
www.facebook.com/soul.dragger/
www.instagram.com/souldragger_official/
www.open.spotify.com/artist/3QCoVWbFMlZ6JAghXxXj1r
www.youtube.com/channel/UCRDI_sP3390u5ECzOgDoy4A
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Tammy Lomax and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.