{"id":232192,"date":"2026-03-04T21:44:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T20:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/?p=232192"},"modified":"2026-03-04T21:44:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T20:44:50","slug":"blackwater-drowning-obscure-sorrows-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/blackwater-drowning-obscure-sorrows-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Blackwater Drowning – Obscure Sorrows Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"I’m going to come out and say it. Arch Enemy<\/strong> has done untold damage to female-fronted metal bands. While their influence is undeniable, every iteration of the band has featured monotone vocals, cringe-inducing lyrics, and leather-clad frontwomen. As a woman, I have no issue with these things in a vacuum, but in the larger music sphere, they created simultaneously high and absurdly low standards. Requiring frontwomen to be stereotypically hot, thin, and sport bright hair, while also plummeting standards on the musical side with their milquetoast melodeath slop. This is an ill omen for North Carolina\u2019s Blackwater Drowning, <\/strong> seemingly following in Arch Enemy<\/strong>\u2019s footsteps on a surface level, but do they make the same mistakes from a musical perspective, or are they influenced only in aesthetics?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Blackwater Drowning<\/strong>\u2019s sophomore album, Obscure Sorrows<\/em>, is at times a grab bag of popular metal cliches. Their latest is full of groovy, djent-laden riffs and chugging, staccato metalcore. Light orchestration adds obligatory bombast to intros and a few sections, while uninspired cleans occasionally show up as if they are a necessary evil. Vocalist Morgan Riley has more range and skill than their clear inspirations (Arch Enemy<\/strong>), but ultimately sits in the mid-range for far too long, and her clean singing lacks skill and panache. The highlight of Obscure Sorrows<\/em> is guitarist Ron Dalton\u2019s playing and the rich production (courtesy of Cryptopsy<\/strong> guitarist Christian Donaldson). Dalton\u2019s riffs cover a wide range of styles, and the album highlight \u201cHeir Of The Witch\u201d is where the band should focus their sound, with its rolling energy and massive groove. Bassist Aria Novi shines due to the quality production, and frequently bolsters Dalton\u2019s riffs and drummer Aamon Dalton\u2019s technical hammering. There is no lack of talent across the band, but the whole crew seems too comfortable sitting in the mid-range, making for an album that bleeds together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Obscure Sorrows<\/em>\u2019 biggest sin is its inability to shake things up. Across the ten tracks, they all sit in such similar spaces that they are hard to tell apart. Even song lengths are eerily similar, and they tend to reach for the same tired notes, making for music that lacks hooks. It feels harsh to lay so much at the feet of Blackwater Drowning<\/strong>, because the band clearly isn\u2019t lacking in technical skill, but I think comparing songs to each other and treating the album as a whole shows a record that is far too safe and too middling in its soundscape. Clean singing makes occasional appearances but rarely stands out except on \u201cTeeth and Claws,\u201d which features some genuine atmosphere and brooding emotion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Obscure Sorrows<\/em> isn\u2019t bad by any stretch, and the album opener, \u201cThe Sixth Omen,\u201d features a roaring intro riff, even if it devolves into an uninspired chorus. The production elevates the album, and the clarity and crunch on display are admirable even if the source material doesn\u2019t necessarily do it justice. \u201cWashed Out, Washed Away\u201d is backed by a crushing blackened death riff, and \u201cWhere Men Fear To Tread\u201d showcases Morgan Riley\u2019s skill on the low end alongside an anthemic chorus bookended by a teetering solo. \u201cTeeth And Claws\u201d evil lead riff helps the track ascend the mid-range soup and features some creative cleans from Riley.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In the end, Obscure Sorrows<\/em> is an album I wanted to love, and with a bit of editing, variety, and focus on groove, Blackwater Drowning<\/strong> could truly stomp fools on their next record. As it stands, their latest is a competent, if safe, drop in the female-fronted melodeath bucket. Fans of the genre may get more out of it than I did, and they easily beat Arch Enemy<\/strong> at their own game, but Blackwater Drowning<\/strong> has a bit of work to do before they can truly drop the barn burner I know they are capable of. Luckily, this is a young band with a hopefully long career ahead of them, and as many say, the third time is the charm.<\/p>\n