Album Review: Jack the Giant Killer - 'The Drowning King'

21 February 2011 | 10:48 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Forward thinking and innovative.

It takes a lot to get the sometimes stagnant Adelaide scene excited about a release from a local band but Jack the Giant Killer are harboring a monster that will annihilate this trend. The Drowning King is their first studio outing which was recorded at the illustrious Capital Sound responsible for churning out some impressive Australian releases including Confession, Coerce, Robotosaurus and Blkout.

Chaotic without losing momentum, The Thief fires off a grim chord progression setting the pace for an unsettling ride. While the foolish may immediately compare this sound to UK heavy weights Architects, the band is more akin to the ever aggressive The Chariot. The Beast follows a similar path as its predecessors, but delves into previously unseen melodic ground which is bolstered by an impressive lead section towards the end of the track.

The Witness has all the ingredients of what I feel could have been a fantastic song, but it just doesn’t come across as powerful as it may possibly have been. Worth mentioning however is the presence of vocalist James Culley (Settle for Nothing) who lends his pipes in a more traditional NYHC style helping add a further dimension to the track. The Drowning King is an unexpected finale, with vocalist Nic Galley taking the spot light bellowing out some grizzly lines such as ”My brothers are drowning right next to me, we are the last breath in a dead man’s chest”.

One of the most admirable aspects of The Drowning King is the meticulous manner in which the EP has been prepared. This may seem like an odd thing to take into consideration, but it’s clear the band has gone through the release with a fine tooth comb making sure each song flows nicely into the next and it sounds as though it’s a story being heard as opposed to the fuck it lets end on a breakdown or bass bomb mentality.

Extremely consistent across the board, The Drowning King is packing enough firepower to wow both local and interstate audiences.

1. The Captain (The Storm Between Home And Here)
2. The Thief (Like Stealing Air From The Dead)
3. The Beast (War Of The Wolves)
4. The Victim (A Terrible Way To Leave The Living)
5. The Killer (When The Monsters Got You)
6. The Witness (The Phone Ain't The Only Thing Dead In That Old House)
7. The Drowning King (The Mourning Queen)