Today’s world feels like it tends toward maximalism, especially as more music and media is released than ever. It’s against this dense backdrop that the debut release from Fort Collins ethereal indie folk band Ducki stands out, aggressively using space, slow tempos, and dynamic, mesmerizing progressions to create a moment of relief from the busy outside world.
The band released ‘The Duck’ in May, offering a paced, 11-track collection of well-
crafted rock and folk songs with an introspective underbelly. The recording includes vocalist Signey Bowling, vocalistguitarist Brooke Apana, guitarist Brian Zitti, drummer Will Erhart, and bassist Andy Poitras.
The record presents an indie folk sound in conversation with Adrianne Lenker and Big Thief, Alex G, and at times some of the dreaminess of Beach House. However, ‘The Duck’ also stands entirely on its own with a cohesive, albeit far-reaching rock sound behind Apana and Bowling’s haunting vocals.
The album was recorded and mixed by Shane Zweygardt (Dead Pioneers), mastered by Ryan Adams, and was tracked to tape on a Tascam 388.
“We recorded in our drummer Will’s basement, so it was a comfortable and sort of silly vibe the whole time we recorded,” the band says.
From slowcore moments of unrelenting intensity like intro track “Reborn,” to the warm, twangy elements of pedal steel by Ryan Nash and organ played by Erhart on “Banjovi,” the record
has a cozy, organic thread running through each song.
Some of my favorites include the far out, weighty, and mysterious tracks like the dark “Hi Dive,” the toned down acoustic “Reborn Again,” and the straightforward indie rock feel of single “Life in Space” and “Sue Me.”
“Here I Lay” into “Wisdom Tooth” into “God Forbid” offers a satisfying three-track run to close
the album, featuring dynamic, yet seamless transitions that the listener could easily mistake for one long, episodic song.
While I’m quick to say I’m excited for what the band does next, ‘The Duck’ should also be adequately celebrated as an excellent modern Colorado release, and its spaciousness should also serve as a reminder to avoid getting lost amongst the chaotic world.
BY NATE BAPTIST
When it comes to music, the term ‘best’ has been thrown around and hotly debated for many years, despite its distinction of being largely subjective. While characteristics like being the fastest, the heaviest, or the most brutal are arguably easier to quantify, when it comes to Draghoria, few will argue that this particular outfit is the most ‘metal’ in Northern Colorado.
This title has been earned by way of over a decade of releases that showcase the things that Draghoria does best: creating heavy music, inspired by the greats that came not just before them, but after them as well, with incomparable musicianship from each of the band’s five members. The upcoming effort from the NoCo metal juggernaut seamlessly keeps this well-deserved legacy going.
Draghoria’s upcoming EP, ‘Eternal Sleep,’ is the fifth official release from the band that will be hitting – or perhaps, pummeling –shelves on June 27.
In true Draghoria fashion, the disc prepares the listener for the assault that awaits with “The Void,” a building introduction with clean guitar work that could easily have been heard on any Metallica record released between 1984 and 1988, along with a choir; a dismal, almost unintelligible dialogue; and a crescendo that ends with static as if to say, “get ready.”
The title track, a song inspired by vocalist Riggs’s actual experiences with sleep paralysis, commonly known as night terrors, is where the aforementioned sonic assault truly begins. While the notion of being unable to move while surrounded by shadowy, perhaps demonic, figures is terrifying to say the
least, Draghoria succeeds in addressing the topic with the combination of brutality and endorphin-releasing fun that has become a sort of signature for the band.
One of the many things that Draghoria does so well is bringing the energy of a metal show to life in a studio setting, along with the comradery and culture of the metal community. This inherent ability is displayed in the next track, “What You Get.” The lightning-fast drum work of Alex Carrillo is abruptly interrupted with a China cymbal which, as any metalhead will attest, is the sonic equivalent of the Simpsons meme that depicts Ralph Wiggum smiling awkwardly on a school bus while uttering, “I’m in danger.”
Not only are the lyrics of the song about being voluntarily and joyfully caught in a circle pit, but the instrumentation paints the perfect picture of a wild mosh at the same time.
While the members of Draghoria list a variety of artists from genres including thrash metal, death metal, progressive rock, and even bossa nova as influences, the next track, “I’m Not Me,” is a track dripping with more Slayer influence than cover of the San Francisco thrash giants’ album ‘World Painted Blood.’
From the intro reminiscent of that of “Seasons in the Abyss,” to the breakdown which echoes that of the classic “Raining Blood,” to the guitar solo with enough dive bombs and pinch harmonics to make Jeff Hannemann roll over in his grave with joy and stoic approval, “I’m Not Me” is yet another example of Draghoria paying homage to the greats with an Easter egg specifically designed for true metalheads.
‘Eternal Sleep’ closes with “United We Mosh,” another track that accurately represents the thrill of being in the middle of the mosh pit at a metal show. It’s a feeling impossible to describe to someone who hasn’t experienced it, and an army of metalheads would likely attest that it is one of the truest audio representations of said feeling that has ever been laid down on tape.
“Falling to the floor, you get up for more,” is a particularly relatable line from an anthem that metal fans didn’t realize they needed, and the track appropriately wraps up the EP with a quick take on Diamond Head’s, “Am I Evil,” a song given to the masses via a 1984 cover from Metallica, as well as another nod to the metal giants in a simple, quick shout of, “Master!”
The current lineup of Draghoria has been intact for almost ten years and the music the band has become known for is a product of varied musical influences, deep musical experience by each band member, and an unmistakable chemistry that lends itself to the creation of consistently passionate music over a period of time largely unprecedented in any local scene.
The band returns to its homebase, The Moxi Theater in Greeley, on June 28 for the official ‘Eternal Sleep’ release show. Northern Colorado’s metalheads will once again be treated to fresh material from the region’s most ‘metal’ band that continues to succeed in not only paying homage to the founding fathers of the genre, but also in serving as a catalyst for subsequent generations to keep the spirit of metal alive.
