Drift “Stalkin’ Like Killers” CD

There were actually a surprising number of absolutely raging hardcore albums coming out of Europe in the early part of this decade, and "Stalkin' Like Killers", from Germany's Drift, remains an incredible disc that never really got the attention it deserved. Released by Alveran Records in 2002, I believe this was the band's sole full-length – the follow-up to a split CD with Copykill that, if I remember correctly, wasn't nearly as forceful (but I need to buy that shit again to make sure, I can't find my old copy). With "Stalkin' Like Killers", though, they absolutely hit the mark, cranking out eight tracks of crushing metallic hardcore plus a cover of Integrity's "Diehard" in just a half-hour. The songwriting offers an excellent (and seamless) fusion of fast-paced hardcore with thrashy picking patterns and punishing midpaced breakdowns, as well as some more dissonant chord phrasings and such that add a touch of variety throughout. The grooves combined with the burly vocals definitely give the band that European type of sound, but they also flirt with little hints of added metal (especially the clean guitars and melodic leads of instrumental "... In Recurrence") and brief melodic flourishes here and there that, in retrospect, really give me the impression that these guys might've been somewhat ahead of their time. I can definitely hear a lot of elements here that have since been further explored by a number of loosely comparable bands worldwide. Admittedly those little creative aspects take a backseat to the more traditional and in your face metallic hardcore attack that dominates the album, but I think that's what makes it such a great record! In addition to a killer recording, these are fuckin' great songs that benefit from coming across as a little more simplistic than they really are. I guess it's just the band's limited output and relative obscurity that kept this disc under the radar, but... it still deserves more respect!

Drift "Enemy Grounds"
Drift "Downtonone"

I have no idea what happened to Drift, but I definitely wish they had stuck around a little longer. Maybe some of the guys are in other bands these days, but I have a pretty hard time keeping up with that stuff. Thankfully, to my surprise, it's still really easy to get your hands on this album, so... definitely check it out if you like what you hear. I think I have an even greater appreciation for this material now than I did back when it was released...

Get It

Interpunk (CD)
Amazon.com (CD)
Amazon.com (mp3)
eMusic (mp3)
iTunes (mp3)