We could argue all day about what constitutes metal, but I'd rather just sit back and enjoy the music. The Drowned God is a Pennsylvania-based group, describing their influences as coming from from post-hardcore and post-metal to "create music that's emotive and atmospheric." The band features members from the black metal group, CAPA. I can hear the heaviness of these influences, but don't expect this to be a BM outing in the least.
There is a vast longing in both the vocals and melancholic guitar tone. The EP opens with your typical post-rock, post-hardcore flair, but The Ebony Void definitely sports some heavy moments as well. I love "Mezzanine"'s transition from the chill post rock chords to the crunchy Deftones riff. It gets downright gritty, and all the more noticeably so given the duality.
This darkness continues to spiral into "Unbecoming." The more aggressive grooves of distortion begin to collide with the counterattacks of indie rock. The latter seems to rise victorious around the midpoint of the song. It's a lovely, but ultimately tenuous interlude of light picking and ambiance. The eye of the storm, it won't last. Despite continued clashes, "Intestate" is the bleakest track of them all, ending on a note more angsty than a 90's MTV grunge music video. The vocals seem to become more and more destructive over time, shedding the previous layers of sadness in favor of Dillinger-esque howls of rage.
Ultimately, The Ebony Void is a very enjoyable EP and left me excited to hear a full length in the future. I will definitely be hitting the "follow" button for these guys. The Drowned God have started strong with a full sound and solid concept that has potential to mature into a trademark for them. Continued experimentation with their heavier past and post-hardcore future will serve them well. Just don't turn into another post-black clone. Stay golden, Pony Boy. Stay golden.