American Metalcore/Punk outfit Dragged Under is set to drop their latest album, Upright Animals, this Friday (10/6/22) alongside their appearance at Download Festival this year. Like most of what I’m covering at the moment, I’ve never actually heard of Dragged Under until being asked to cover this review, so I’m excited to jump straight into the release!
Up first is the EP’s title track Upright Animals. With classic Post-Hardcore riffs and vocals, the punk sound is instantly thrust into the forefront of the band’s sound, alongside the catchy, hook-filled chorus that has been stuck in my head since my first time listening. Up next is All Of Us, a track that feels like a throwback to mid-2010s Metalcore while a modern Punk flair acts as a great seasoning to help make the song insanely memorable.
Moving forward, we have one of the album’s singles, Crooked Halos, that makes use of almost acoustic verses that explode into these massive, riff-filled choruses that help create both a feeling of melancholy while having an outburst of anger. By this track, I had found what I loved most about the release so far though, and that is the fantastic lyricism that truly shines through here. Suffer musically does similar to the previous single, but this time blending elements of Downbeat with Pop-Punk and Metalcore to create the catchiest Spin Kick worthy moments in a track I’ve heard in a while.
As the album moves along, listeners are then treated to a wide range of sounds and styles. Be it the Anthemic rock epic See You Alive, Weather’s lean into late 2010’s Metalcore with the insanely catchy, hook-filled choruses or No Place Like Home just going full Pop-Punk.
Dragged Under has created a genre-spanning release here that truly has something for any Rock/Punk/Metal fan with Upright Animals. If you’re into pretty much any of the hundreds of subgenres then there will be sure to have at least a few tracks on this release that just drill themselves into your mind. It takes serious talent to blend the range of genres here together as seamlessly as Dragged Under have managed, seriously give this release a spin, you won’t struggle to find a track you love!
Review: Dan Stapleton
DRAGGED UNDER
NEW STUDIO ALBUM “UPRIGHT ANIMALS”
Out on June 10, 2022
Via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group
Watch the video for “All Of Us” Here
1. Upright Animals
2. All Of Us
3. Never Enough
4. Crooked Halos
5. Long Live The King
6. Suffer
7. See You Alive
8. Weather
9. No Place Like Home
10. Words For Hire
11. Brainwash Broadcast feat. Spencer Chamberlain
12. This Is The End
The UK & Europe is also set to host Dragged Under this summer:
Tickets available from: https://www.
10 June 2022 – The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes, UK
11 June 2022 – Download Fest, Donnington, UK
13 June 2022 – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, UK
14 June 2022 – Key Club, Leeds, UK
15 June 2022 – Asylum2, Birmingham, UK
16 June 2022 – The Star And Garter, Manchester, UK
17 June 2022 – The Camden Assembly, London, UK
18 June 2022 – O2 Academy Brixton, London, UK (supporting The Ghost Inside)
Youtube: youtube.com/