Upon first listen, those close to my age and who may share similar musical tastes may suspect that Drink Deep might be a band from Washington, D.C. For starters, the band takes its name from a Rites of Spring song, wears its influences on its literal sleeves (a brief glance at their social media presence will reveal members wearing official and unofficial band shirts for Embrace, and 3), and employs graphics that recall vintage Dischord Records. Surprisingly, Drink Deep is based in Berlin, Germany, and includes a singer from Santiago, Chile, who sings in English.
A consistent presence in the European hardcore circuit, Drink Deep has been playing and recording since 2022, often alongside iconic U.S. touring bands like 7 Seconds, Shelter, Bold, and Killing Time, among others.
In Reverse, their fourth release, is a well-produced and beautifully packaged six-song 12” EP that opens with the blistering “Tension.” Featuring a drum-and-guitar intro that is equal parts Hüsker Dü and Dag Nasty, once the vocals kick in, one can’t help but hear the influence of Ian MacKaye’s singing with Embrace and Dave Smalley’s with Dag Nasty. As its title suggests, the song builds up tension, balancing rawness with melody before concluding with a shout of “it’s push and pull!” Before you can take another breath, the title track, “In Reverse,” kicks in and grabs you without letting go for a brief one minute and fifty-three seconds. The song is over before I can fully take it in and it leaves me wanting more.
“Transparency” follows and we get a burst of Revolution Summer-influenced hardcore meets Lifetime circa Hello Bastards. It is equal parts refreshing and energizing. The power-pop-infused intro of “Going Numb” indicates a brief shift in tactics, with more time-change dynamics and a mid-tempo breakdown toward the end. The same can be said for “Illusion of Time,” which has a poppier edge and tempo, giving the listener a well-earned respite from the speed of the first half of the EP. I particularly appreciated the lyrical nod to deceased D.C.-area power-pop hero Tommy Keene. The closing number, “Come Undone,” returns to the explosive Revolution Summer hardcore of the first three tracks and makes its two-minute-and-twenty-eight-second duration feel like 30 seconds.
When things feel like they are going faster than they are, that means you are enjoying them. This was my experience with this short but sweet EP. Something I should say, in case anyone misunderstands this review due to all the D.C. hardcore references, is that Drink Deep uses its influences to build something entirely original and captivating -- at least to these well-worn and sometimes cynical Gen-X ears. It ssound neither unoriginal nor derivative. With “In Reverse,” Drink Deep manages to take sounds from the past and rework them into something entirely their own.
The lyrics are introspective without being sappy, topical without being preachy; if anything, they are empowering. Perhaps Drink Deep’s greatest achievement with “In Reverse” is that they make it seem easy to write short yet complex, powerful songs that linger in your ears long after they have ceased to play. Now, where is the full-length album?
