DWNKILL are a band born of the monotony of the Covid pandemic which gave the band plenty of time to write, rehearse and perfect their sound. Hailing from Houston, Texas, DWNKILL are the brain child of identical twin brothers, Jesse (vocals) and Josh (drums) Rodriguez. Recruiting childhood friends Connor Clements (guitar) and Dylan McEwan (bass) their line up was complete and they soon made an impression on the local underground scene after only a few shows. Quickly teaming up with local indie label Street Noise Productions to work on their debut album.
Time Will Tell was released in June 2023. Predominantly a heavy blend of a thumping, head banging back line, clever rhythmic riffage and angry vocals of a hardcore persuasion. I get quite a bit of a Refused influence here alongside some other alt metal esque styles. The vocals are the main hardcore focal point, however, lyrically I guess they are not quite as abstract but none the less effective. Going by an in depth song by song commentary that came from their label, they touch on a number of personal thoughts, feelings and views on a variety of subjects close to their hearts with gusto.
Time Will Tell is seven tracks and has a run time of just over twenty minutes which to me is more of an EP than an album but I feel like I am being a little picky. Time Will Tell opens with the title track, which is punchy and rhythmic and sets the record up in fine form. "Dark Times" was released as a single before the record came out and is easily one of their best tracks, it is more punky and incredibly catchy. According to Jesse it is one their more popular tracks to mosh to. They have done a good job at track placement and they have been sure to place stronger tracks strategically. I have noticed that they have a tendency to get a little bit too alt metal (for my liking) on tracks "Ambien" and "Vision" but these songs may appeal more to others than they do me, due to the track listing it picks back up again. You can't say that their songs are samey that's for sure. They prove themselves all to be talented musicians, I like their attitude, energy and guttural heaviness. The final track "Nine" does give off alt metal vibes again but with a more punchy style at the forefront bringing a less grungey feel with some great riffs and prominent bass line.
As far as first albums/EPs go Time Will Tell is a great debut showcase for DWNKILL. It is really well recorded, often their style can sound quite muddy if it falls into the wrong hands but they have been very fortunate with this. Great effort has been made to clarify each instrument ensuring they do not bleed into each other. Jesse's vocal style has great growl to it but you can hear what is being said. I guess that the fact they have all known each other for a long time before the band started gives them that well rehearsed, professional sound even though they are fairly new to the scene. It's no wonder they are already doing great things.
The artwork for Time Will Tell is stark and simple but not something that I would be able to recall if I had to pick it out of a bunch of other CDs. I love CD's! They are tactile and most like to use bold artwork and detailed inlays so you can take your time looking at pictures, lyrics and quotes which gives you an idea of their characters and sense of humour as a band. It is great that they haven't forgotten about physical copies of their music but this tells us nothing about them as a band apart from the track listing, not even who they are, how to contact them or find them on social media. If I saw this in a store I don't expect I would even notice it and I would feel a little short changed if I bought it at a show preferring to just look them up online when I got home rather than buy a copy. This is a bit of a shame as the EP itself is a good listen. They just need to work on selling themselves a bit more.
It seems that you can find DWNKILL on instagram @DWNKILL and also through Street Noise Productions at streetnoiseproduction.com.
