Consisting of Ex-SHADOWS FALL singer Brian Fair and UNEARTH drummer Derek Kerswill, DOWNPOUR is the result of jams and fun like four years ago and then became a serious project. The songs here were written in 2015 but only came to light this year. This albums has seven songs for about 34 minutes of total playing time. "The Serpent's Tongue reminds me of GOJIRA a lot. There are breakdowns, angry singing, the bass is prominent and the solos are rare but interesting. The drums are sometimes pounding heavy rocks or beating the hell as fast as possible. Mr. Fair's vocals are doing the job seriously. In the last minute we are offered a great solo and all finishes with some banging riff.

"Truth in Suffering" is MESSHUGAH influenced for sure. Great song with clean and growling vocals. The music creates a big wall of sound that crushes all that is in their way. LeBreton's solo kicked my ass and i couldn't sit for a week. The chorus is very catchy, my best song for now. Argh pitch harmonics are used I can't stand them anymore, Mr Wylde is guilty..."Astral Projection" is very down-tuned. The vocals are superb. It's like a journey into space or something like that. I like the vocal harmonies used here. This one is more mid tempo and more aerial a little but don't get fooled there is some great heavy riffs in the last part of the song. The last minute of the song is guitar craziness fading out. "Still Waiting" used futuristic sounds at first and we are welcomed with some acoustic guitar (nice surprise) playing a repetitive pattern. I like the way it was recorded. It's futuristic while organic in some way. It sounds a little tribal. The percussion is given the space it needs to demonstrate themselves, and the guitar rhythms reminds me of Aaron Turner's ISIS. It's a wonderful journey through other worlds and the final frontier.

"Beautiful Nothing" sounds like a TOOL tribute, but also reminds me of GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT. Then the mood changes and we have picked riffing and breakdowns to add intensity to the vocals yelled and screamed outta Fair's mouth. Excellent landscapes and ambiances are shown after and powered with excellent solos. This one is uses variations that makes the listener go there to there, never knowing where he's gonna land, with an angry smile on his face. "Without the Fear" is a GOJIRA on amphetamine influenced song that offers killer riffs, relentless drums, anger filled vocals and all that's essential to let the steam comes out, leaving yourself satisfied. Finally,"Mountain" is the last title. It has vocals reminiscent of MASTODON and maybe the vibe too. Very positive song and ambiance. I really like this one its far different from the others. It's the highlight for me maybe because it's more simplistic but has a lot of meaning and emotions expressed. More space more breathing air. Not too dense. A great way to finish this album. They should explore this approach a little bit more. It is quite refreshing!

DOWNPOUR is quite a strong outfit. It has all what it needs to perform an amazing listening experience. Not to unilateral,this project knows how to burst the energy bubble when its time, and also letting the listeners explore, drifting on beautiful landscapes of a promising sun setting.