Release Date: August 07th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD
Taken Form - Tracklist
1.Cut to the Bone 03:11
2.In the Mire 04:51
3.Potent Sea 01:56
4.Martyr Tombs 04:40
5.Cautionary Tail 03:35
6.Everything is Rot 04:46
Members
Keenan Bouchard - Drums
Justin Gonyea - Guitar, Vocals
Benjamin Lee - Guitar
Nathaniel Parker Raymond - Bass
Review
Taken Form is the debut album from Thrash/Sludge Metallers Dragger who fuse Punk Metal and Metallic Hardcore into their music. This allows Dragger to have an out-of-control and demented creative persona throughout this album whilst still developing some harsh sounding melodic strands of Heavy Metal. The record runs for a brisk and intense twenty five minutes across six tracks with Dragger exploring every facet of their Thrash/Sludge Metal sound.
The vocals from Justin Gonyea are Hardcore Punk through and through with a demented Metallic Sludge dynamic bursting through the seams. The music is wholly aggressive and slightly subversive especially when small pockets of Psych Metal appear within the background that gives Taken Form a heavy destructive Doomed Out Metal sound on tracks such as Cut To The Bone, In The Mire, Martyr Tombs and Everything Is Rot.
Dragger do veer into Post-Metal territory on small parts of the record which gives them a vibrant Progressive Metal quality that becomes one of the main strengths of the album. You may not hear, feel or experience this at first but Taken Form is quite a complex and multi-layered record with sludgy soundscapes crossing over with Justin’s stripped back and gloomy vocals.
The instrumental work is epic and always offers a highly climatic style of delivery which leaves you wanting more with some of the songs suddenly ending which can be one of the weaker aspects of the album. Though, you don’t have to wait long for another turbo-charged groove and violent melody that’s delivered with great precision that wholly allows that Thrash Metal aspect of Dragger to take complete control.
Taken Form is an action packed ride that allows Dragger to deliver a wonderfully violent debut album that will have listeners coming back time and time again.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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