From Bandcamp, “DROWNSHIP is a five piece post-metal band from Hamburg, founded in 2018, featuring members of OPHIS, TODTGELICHTER, and CALEYA, their first EP "A Dirge to a carrion Heart" came 2021 via Moment of Collapse. In 2023, they recorded the Album "Tidal Passages" which will be released via These Hands Melt on November 8th 2024.” DROWNSHIP's musical essence intertwines heavy and progressive elements, complemented by a dynamic spectrum of screams and melodic vocals. The band's evocative name, a fusion of "drowning" and "fellowship", serves as a fitting prelude to their lyrical exploration of societal collapse, its reverberations, and the intricate inner struggles faced by every individual.”

The album has eight songs, and “Where the Flood Springs” is first. The opening tones are weighted, the vocals are clean, and the entire pieces has a somber feeling to it, especially at the advent of harsh vocals. “Those Who Drank from the Waters of Lethe” refers to the river in the underworld of Hades and a spirit associated with the river, and it has both a desolate and angry sound. The slower, clean interlude after the half-way mark speaks more emotion to me. “Pacified” has heavy, tense electronic sounds in the beginning, and a foreshadowing feeling of something evil spawning. What comes next is an assault on the ears…a structured, brutal riff, and raging harsh vocals. “The Great Devouring” begins with very depressive clean tones but the anger comes shortly thereafter once again. The weight has a distinct groove to it as well, almost like watching a mudslide swallow cars and even houses.

“Cradled by Fire” is another song that has a lot of tension to it, but one particular thing that the band does well on the album is not letting the rubber band snap. They stretch it until it bleeds, but pull back at the last second. “A Tomb between the Stars” features drums…drums in the deep…with lush keyboard notes that seem to stretch out time, and the harmonized clean vocals are quite comely. “Abysmal Flower” pits two opposing words together as the album does. Neither side wins however. When one rises up, the other retreats, then this push and pull continues. It’s the same with tension…the band seems to be just toying with its application. “Iconoclast” closes the album, and the weight of the album is dialed up, as it begins to outpace the despair. As your face grows red with frustration and anger, the band encourages you to just let it out.

On “Tidal Passages,” the band sets out to provide balance between anger and despair, and that they accomplish. The haunting melodies are layered with sharp, jagged riffs that reflect the internal conflict we so often hide from the world. The vocals serve as the raw, aching voice of someone grappling with their own demons, shifting between quiet reflection and anguished outbursts, mirroring the push and pull of the mind as it contends with doubt and despair.  The album doesn’t offer easy answers—it doesn’t seek to soothe or simplify the chaos. Instead, it embraces the complexity of facing yourself, of confronting your deepest fears and weaknesses head-on.