The Drowns – Harsh Reality

I can’t remember the actual year (too many beers between now and then I guess), but I first saw The Drowns live at Rebellion Festival on what was then the Pavillion Stage, and loved every second of a set that just stood out and ever since have always tried to catch them. This is a band with everything that defines 70’s, 80’s 90’s and so on Punk Rock from Seattle, and what always stands out at a Drowns gig is just how much it involves the crowd. Getting to hear this new album ahead of its release is an absolute honour and privilege, I always think that for every artist, but this somehow stands prouder. You’ll know what I’m talking about once you listen to this band and album if you haven’t already. 

If you know The Drowns then it won’t come as any surprise that the first song was released as a single and is brutally honest and fully on point. The ‘Harsh Reality’ album is not about the bands ‘Relentless’ touring and work ethic, it’s actually a slice through the heart of life, It’ addresses how crazy it is that you work the whole of it so you can enjoy nothing, and the bastard billionaires take their slice of cake and eat it over and over again, because thats what this band is, a soul searching political and buzzsaw. What This album does do this time round and at this point of the bands career, is bring everything that defines them together in one place. It feels like this is the moment they have been heading towards for such a long time, when they released the live at Rebellion album back in August 2025 you could have easily fooled into thinking misled in this was a pinnacle. How wrong could we all have been, ‘Harsh Reality’ is an album that could and should propel this band to the heights they deserve, and definitely on the “album of the year” list.

‘Always A Bastard’ kicks this album off in veritable Drowns style, straight to the point, a kick to the head of the racist morons who come and go but are always unwelcome in the scene. Next up, and what gives this album a twist of pure melodic sugar, a song that sounds Alkaline Trio without the darkness, this is an anthem for humanity, and absolute banger of a tune and its mix is pure bliss. What’s so exciting in the way this album has been put together with the angst of Guitarist Rav Peters rasping vocal on about half of the songs, and then Bassist Andy Wylie’s melodic smoothness on the other half, such a winning combination of moments that keep you feeling fully attached for every second. Rav on ‘Lets Start A Cult’ drops lyrical venom like no other can, in a song that bites hard at the power of religion and culthood and its modern day slavery of thought and life. This hits home so much more when you relate the dictator style of leadership around the world, not least in the USA, in which the followers are very simply like believers who cannot be swayed. Then Andy spins his ridiculously good vocal honey on ‘Burn The Page’ giving a cynical song such a glorious sing-a-long hook. This see-saw of vocal tennis goes on for every one of the thirteen tracks, and lets not forget the drums of which Jake takes charge of in a way that also defines this bands sound, and it gives you the listener such a huge buzz. In fact the whole album just soars and snarls itself into perfection territory. Take ‘Only Have A Heart’, it’s a song for everyone to get behind, imagine what a world this could be if only everyone had that heart, this is a defining song for the band.

In most reviews we as reviewers try to pick out the golden moments, the stand out songs, well this album has a full thirteen of them, every gem of a song is worthy of a shout out.  This is a piece of work that has two sides to it, firstly its an album full of thoughts on the world and how shit life can be for the majority, secondly its and album you can put on and just enjoy musically and let it take you away from it all. I think every band wants to imagine their last album was their best, and the next will be even better, well The Drowns have just hit the jackpot here. This album is everything this band has been, is, are and always will be. Punk rock fucking legends, take a bow!! 

Harsh Reality is out on September 18th via Pirate Press Records and can be pre-ordered here.