Review: Sorry… – Drowned in Misery

Review by K

Sorry… – Drowned in Misery

Record Label: Suicide Emotions Records

Year: 2024

Rating: 8/10

In the wrong hands, DSBM can be a pretty dangerous thing, when done properly. In today’s age of high anxiety and heightened awareness of various mental health crises, it’s quite a wonder that this form of music hasn’t come under more scrutiny by government do-gooders and young people’s mental health charities, etc. But such is the deep underground nature of DSBM that it seems to be flying under those particular radars, the preserve of a select few. Whether that’s a good thing or not is down to personal opinion. For this review we’re going to assume that the listener is a grown-up, with a bright, “normal” disposition and isn’t harbouring any serious thoughts of self-harm, etc.

All sounds a little melodramatic I know but seriously, this form of music is so low in mood and atmosphere that, as mentioned earlier, in the hands of someone entertaining dark thoughts, this genre can be problematic. Just so you know…

Government Health Warning out of the way we can now descend into the dark mire that is the 4th full length album from Sorry…, a Greek/British duo who have been knocking around since around 2019. The album grinds into life with a faintly disturbing sample of a young girl stating that she’s being kept somewhere so she doesn’t start cutting herself. After this happy intro, “It’s Always Painful to Say Goodbye” kicks into life, a mostly mid-paced slab of gloom with tortured desperate howls, screams and wailed passages, ticking all the DSBM boxes within its 4 minutes. The tune is ok, not earth-shattering but not terrible either. It’s not as good as “Fallen Tears of Internal Anguish,” which follows up. Now this is more like it, a truly desperately sad riff and an atmosphere that could easily have one reaching for the sharp things. Think Brave Murder Day with an extra dusting of powdered cyanide and you’re somewhere near. An excellent example of how to execute this genre properly. “Razor Deep in the Centre of the Problem” slows everything down further and somehow manages to lower the mood even further. A.W. (vocals) alternates between growly Black/Death Metal screams and a kind of half-clean fucked up wail that certainly chills the bones. Powerful stuff. Initially, I had misgivings that the production was a bit thin here and there but in essence, the quality of the tunes overrides the issue and dispenses with it quite effectively.

Sorry…

“The Distance that Torn us Apart,” as well as having one reaching for the dictionary, is the longest track so far, clocking in at a shade over 4 minutes. This is quite a rarity in DSBM as most bands in the genre seem determined to pile the misery on by making the majority of their tracks 10 minutes plus long, just to drive the message home in case you were in any doubt. Not so Sorry… who quite refreshingly manage to keep their tracks around the 3 to 4 minute mark. And I’m happy to report that it works quite well. The required effect is achieved in the short periods allowed for each track, which is quite clever (and adds another Katatonia reference.) The riffing here is quite beautiful in a rain-soaked miserable way and the vocals are delivered in the aforementioned style but without any hint of becoming irritating.

Next up on this cheer-fest is the very screamy “Emotionally Destroyed” which employs some of the more interesting time signatures over its 3.5 minutes. There’s a riff somewhere in the middle that is sooo reminiscent of another DSBM track from years ago but I can’t think what it is. Going to drive me mad tonight…The title track begins as a doom slow affair. I don’t have any kind of lyric sheet and as per usual, trying to make out the words is something of a challenge. But you can be assured that the word suiciiiiiide is howled somewhere in here. Dimitris (guitars) can be congratulated on creating some seriously powerful atmospheres throughout this album, particularly here. And without any hint of a keyboard, the reverberated, slightly distant production fits the album’s themes perfectly. If you’re nosy enough to have a read through the Metal Archives reviews you’ll find that the band has been in conflict with a previous producer but whoever they have chosen to produce this record, they have done a pretty decent job. Into the home straight, and the shockingly long (Over 5 minutes….gasp) cover version of Happy Days “Don’t Go” is a straightforward homage to the Americans’ classic party banger. Another tragic yet deadly affair. Pass the hankies. Closing this misery-injected festival of despair is “Lethe,” 2 minutes of rope-laden, rafter-straining atmospheres and life-ending wails and screams.

Taken as a whole, “Drowned in Misery” is a solid, well-produced and well-performed record that delves convincingly into this cold and morbid genre. For me, only a few DSBM bands have ever been particularly effective in delivering their message, among them the mighty Make a Change…Kill Yourself, Xasthur, and Tardigrada. This album could go a long way toward adding Sorry… to that illustrious list. It’s way better than I thought it was going to be. Enjoy, but use with caution.