Review / 200 Words Or Less
Drain the Sky
Haunted by Rivers

Level Plane (2008) Tohm

Drain the Sky – Haunted by Rivers cover artwork
Drain the Sky – Haunted by Rivers — Level Plane, 2008

"Haunted by Rivers" begins Drain the Sky's first release on Level Plane Records. Use of repetition, low vocal pitches, and no percussion make the song oppressive. However, the rest of Haunted by Rivers does not follow in the same fashion. "Sightless" increases tempo and dabbles in hardcore punk. I really like the juxtaposition between the first two tracks. Everything about the music is completely different, and much more pleasing. The eponymous track sets the mood for the rest of the album, but the remaining eight songs show Drain the Sky's truer nature. Slow and growing introductions lead to heavier and more powerful sections. The final song, "Rivers," is a revisiting of the first track, but with distortion, drums, and a quicker pace. Haunted by Rivers will easily be enjoyed by fans of Isis and Boris alike.

6.5 / 10Tohm • July 23, 2009

Drain the Sky – Haunted by Rivers cover artwork
Drain the Sky – Haunted by Rivers — Level Plane, 2008

Related news

Birushanah / Drain The Sky Tourdates

Posted in Tours on February 20, 2008

Recently-posted album reviews

Bitter Branches

Let's Give The Land Back To The Animals
Equal Vision (2026)

Sometimes when you think of a town you think of a certain sound. Philadelphia is not one of those cities for me, as the bands I know from the area vary a lot in style. Yes, there is the Dan Yemin tree (Lifetime / Kid Dynamite / Paint It Black) but there are also poppy bands and emo bands and … Read more

Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs

Pigus Drunkus Maximus (Reissue)
Blind Owl Records (2026)

If rock ’n’ roll ever had a smoky, beer-soaked, throbbing heartbeat, it lives in Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs’ Pigus Drunkus Maximus. Recorded in 1981 but not released until 1987 on Restless Records, the album always felt like a document out of time — lightning caught like fireflies in clumsy hands, then bottled too long. This newly remastered reissue, … Read more

Dream Fatigue

No Requiem
Daze (2026)

There’s a particular tension that makes alternative rock compelling. I love the emotional push and pull between softness and eruption. On No Requiem, Massachusetts outfit Dream Fatigue thrive in that space, crafting a seven song EP that balances dreamlike melody with bursts of distortion and emotional urgency. Born from the creative partnership between drummer Matt Wood and vocalist Jonali McFadden, … Read more