Review Summary: “Still Loves You” manages to be at both times emotional and open, while still retaining Drowningman’s edge, and for that it should be remembered.
While their peers (Converge, Botch, Coalesce etc.) were busy crafting classics of dissonance and shape-shifting chaos, Drowningman were preemptively adapting their style to one which would mirror the coming metalcore scene (and do it much better than most). Toning down the technicality and madness for a more focused (albeit straightforward) approach, “Still Loves You” sees Drowningman put a larger emphasis on clean vocals and melodies, while retaining parts of their original sound. This decision is unsurprising when you consider the difference between 99’s “Busy Signal” and 2000’s “Rock and Roll Killing Machine” with the latter featuring more spoken word muttering and melodic downtime, as “Still Loves You” is just a continuation of this direction
Calling this metalcore is also somewhat misleading as the change in style really moves Drowningman more towards a post hardcore label. Over the five tracks here (lasting under 20 minutes over together) I’m often more reminded of the emo influenced post hardcore that came about at the beginning of the 2000s. The guitar tone is brighter and less muddy than previous releases and Shane Burton's vocals and lyrics move towards a more introspective and relationship focused. While “Busy Signal” was a bastion of anger and hate (“Ill tear your ***ing heart out, you bastard, get ready to die”), on “Still Loves You” Shane is just sorry (“this is it, it’s over now goodbye”)
“Weighted in and Weighed Down” is a throwback to Drowningman’s earlier style and a standout song on the EP. The song escalates before exploding with a scream of “we’re all going down” and technical guitar work. But even this song morphs towards emo and their newer style as Shane sighs that “it would make it so much easier if you could just let it go” while a melodic guitar riff that slowly builds on itself closes off song. Spoken word was always something Drowningman did, not in the extreme heart-wrenching, cringe inducing sense that many bands are now criticized for (I’m looking at you “Being As An Ocean”), but in a resigned and forlorn manner.
Resigned and forlorn in fact describes the whole EP pretty well. In moving away from their metal roots, Drowningman show us a side off them that was always hinted at, the personable relatable side that makes all the more interesting. While their metalcore efforts where tighter from a song writing perspective (there are a few moments here when the songs transition quite disjointedly), and Shane's harsh vocals were stronger, they lacked self-awareness or vulnerability. “Still Loves You” on the other hand, manages to be at both times emotional and open while still retaining Drowningman’s edge, and for that it should be remembered.
