This Drama are (as far as this reviewer knows) the only band worth listening to from Tenerife. A five piece with panache for the rawer side of punk rock, they present their latest record ‘The Wasted Youth’ on maverick label Deep Elm Records. It’s a short and not-so-sweet EP, brandishing the band’s rough ‘n’ ready sound heard on the two previous releases ‘San Diego XIII’ and ‘Tarantula Mata’.
Opening with a screech of feedback, ‘Take it (Leave it)’ is a rip-roaring riff-o-rama. This isn’t as much punk as it is no-holds-barred hard rock – there’s Fugazi as well as Queens of the Stone Age influence amongst the fuzzing and buzzing guitars (and if you spy a bit of Mastodon, it’s because Jag Jago is at the mixing desk). Asdrubal Marichal’s vocals have real bite, and a skipping rhythm that the vast amount of rock bands lack. As such, the vocals add an interesting hook to the guttural mix of masculine bravado found in the instrumentation.
To review the following tracks individually would be a bit of a misnomer. They all have the same infectious attitude, fabulous guitar work and driving rhythm of the opener, and never let up at any point. All anyone really needs to know is that this EP has enough energy to fuel a few small countries. The rhythm section of Yapci Quiros (bass) and Miguel Arimany (drums) is tighter than a duck’s asshole and the duel guitar attack of Inaki Recio and Fran Saavedra utterly breathtaking.
As Marichal puts it, This Drama are “…far from the entrenched ideas, values, needs and culture of a, what we believe to be, dying society”, and are recommended to anyone that likes to dabble in the fringes of normality. This is not something your mother would want you to listen to.
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