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

Six Going on Seven

Human Tears
Spartan Records (2026)

Late 90s post hardcore and emo feels impossible to recreate now. That’s not because the sound itself is gone, but because the tension behind it was so specific to that era. Six Going on Seven’s Human Tears, their first full length in roughly twenty-four years, captures that feeling perfectly. Having a wonderful history by having done a split with Hot … Read more

The Bug Club

Every Single Muscle
Sub Pop (2026)

  I got kind of obsessed with reviewing this record after I heard the first single “Watching The Omnibus” which they released digitally earlier this year. I could probably just write a whole thing about how hard it was to get an advance download of it for review, but I try to keep my reviews positive so I will steer clear … Read more

The Cascadian Divide

To the Sky
Independent (2026)

The Cascadian Divide is a Washington state based melodic skate punk band that formed during the infamous COVID lockdown. Although it started as an experiment, it soon became a passion project for the band members. The band has seen its share of line up changes over the years, but the commitment to maintaining the sound and integrity of the band … Read more