Draghkar – World Unraveled

 

“World Unraveled” is the first demo from California death metal band Draghkar. The sunny state from which they hail really couldn’t be any more different than the music they present on this release, as this demo features 3 tracks of cavernous, soul-crushing death metal. Hosting a variety of influences from doomier death metal groups to the classic Swedish bands, this demo is clear in its intent. The end result is a murky, twisted sound that is likely to appeal to fans of Entombed, Autopsy, and many other bands.

This sound is best exemplified by the production, which leaves plenty of space for all instruments to breathe. The vocals almost feel as if they were recorded at a distance, as they’re not in the forefront of the music (very audible nevertheless). Even when the drums are blasting away on “Cowering in The Town of Blinded Eyes”, they aren’t overbearing, making it easy to hear the riffs. This particular track offers the sole moments of weakness on “World Unraveled”. Some of the riffs on this song sound out of time. It’s possible the band is doing some weird things with uncommon rhythms and time signatures, but given that this is a first demo, my intuition suggests there are legitimate timing issues. Nevertheless, the guitars rumble along with such potency that it really doesn’t detract from the music too much. 

The other two tracks are similar in approach. They move seamlessly from higher speed riffing to a more mid-paced headbanging feel, with the occasional doom section thrown in. The title track has some prominent bass playing, which serves as a nice reminder that this instrument can co-exist with the rest of the band in death metal. Songwriting is never a primary focus of bands within this particular sound, and so I can’t fault Draghkar for not having the most memorable songs. Instead, “World Unraveled” should be evaluated based on its cohesiveness and ability to consistently deliver riffs. Though it’s not exactly the style of death metal I enjoy most, there is no doubt that this is a demo that delivers on its promises!

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Highlights

All of it

Final Rating

3.8/5 or 76%. 

Written by Scott