Album Review: Dragged In – LP1

Toronto hardcore quintet Dragged In surprised me from the off, because listening to LP1 without first reading the accompanying PR, I thought they were British. That’s not a comment on anything other than my failure to recognise Toronto as a proving ground for this kind of angry yet melodic hardcore. That’s my ignorance out of the way. On to the record.

LP1 has been out for a good while now and was the inaugural output of (then) new hardcore label Cursed Blessings. The album comprises 13 tracks of accomplished punk rock that in its sense of scope, drama and dynamics veers towards the metal end the band’s many influences. And that’s no bad thing. While tracks like openers Unsinkable and No Surrender are classic sonic batterings (as are most of the tracks on this album), there are also moments of almost pop sensibility: if Foo Fighters are your limit on how far down this heavy road you go, LP1 may be an excellent entrée to the harder end of the spectrum. Say Something in particular has an almost singalong chorus, but there are surprising moments of great melodic accomplishment through these 13 tracks.

Overall, there’s a fine sense of drama and menace throughout this album. Dragged In are clearly a band that know how music works and have absorbed a multitude of references and influences to arrive at this sonic landscape. Howling feedback and the moments of deliberate awkwardness (the grinding and slightly unsettling See Through, for instance) underline the strong musicality that threads through the album. Top track for this reviewer is the epic Vicious Cycle, which encapsulates the best aspects of the album in one song.

This is a great album for so many reasons. Excellent songs that sound great, full of fire and energy. Heartily recommended.

LP1 is now available now via Bandcamp and on ‘ruby’ and ‘coke bottle clear/apple swirl’ vinyl here