Review: “Tragedy As Catharsis” by Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

Written By: Allen Hale | Photos By: Mungo Dulmage | December 11th, 2024

Combining a disorienting barrage of endlessly shifting rhythmic bases, screaming vocals and intense instrumental noisiness, “Tragedy As Catharsis” by Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (DYPOTBOTD) is probably the loudest stuff I have heard this year. Released on Nov. 5, the emotional deliverance provided by this project is cutthroat through and through, isolating to some but resonant for anyone willing to contend with its ravaging nature.

A three-piece act out of Vancouver, Canada, DYPOTBOTD share their curious name with a novel by Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk. As a debut album following only a four-song demo which shares none of its tracks, “Tragedy As Catharsis” functions without any fear for its reception. In all regards, the band is uncompromising in their pursuits. 

Released on vinyl by No Funeral Records, the project’s sound is likened to “heavy chaotic bands like Ampere, Reversal of Man, Combatwoundedveteran” by the label, neatly capturing the essence of their sonic pandemonium. Like the aforementioned innovators, DYPOTBOTD operates in the relatively obscure genre of emoviolence, which combines the abrupt tempo-changes and hardcore origins of powerviolence with features resembling emo’s personal introspection. The result is harrowing and, below its jagged surface, touching in many respects. “Tragedy As Catharsis” is sure to delight fans belonging to these various subcultures, or really anyone hoping to hear something heavy. 

Throughout the record, off-kilter drumming guides each piece’s blistering adjustment. Amidst the muffled vocals and metallic guitars, listeners have at least one component to move their head along with — until the beat abruptly changes between sections. Take one example: “glimmer fate” sounds like it might fall apart at any time, maintaining balance long enough for it to conclude with incessant blast beats and guitar chugs.

The album is bookended with its two longest songs, otherwise featuring a slew of tracks which float around the one minute mark. In the extended songs’ quieter areas, a menacing, ominous sense of tension often looms until the group builds into releases of cacophony. At a mere 19 seconds, “blood astronomy” is the shortest. Booming snares dominate the mix across all 18 minutes, and cymbals tend to be adjusted lower into the background. The album’s stirring rewards are well-represented by its titular thematics, operating through stark contrasts in volume.

Moments of rest in transition points are quickly and unsparingly interrupted by seamless transitions from track-to-track. For instance, instruments ring out with an incredible, enveloping final chord on “suzerain” that flows into the introductory distortion of “malediction,” after which an efficiently simple eighth note drum lead-in primes its ensuing speed. I was then surprised by the sudden cut-away from this main theme, after which a chilling solo guitar emerges from the silence. Wailing vocals harmonize over pounding drums that move towards another climactic apex which, shockingly enough, merely concludes rather than arriving at a new variation. After a brief pause, “ritual symmetry” begins with unrelated, down-tempo riffs conducive to head-nodding. Without the songs listed before me, it would be difficult to tell where one begins and where another ends.

By avoiding an incessant, ceaseless use of their virtuosic rage, DYPOTBOTD have created an album which is never one-dimensional in its pummeling approach. We can breathe a sigh of relief just long enough to adjust for whatever harshness may follow, leaving one to feel vitally refreshed rather than emotionally drained. Exemplifying this core success, “perish” begins with a lone, echoing guitar before drums slam and screams enter; the beat remains relatively ham-fisted before devolving into madness; the band at last ends with unified triplet hits. After initial galloping, “a deeper shade of night” comes to a similar finale, with its ending chord slowly dissipating amidst dramatic cymbal hits. Simply put, I was transfixed. The abrasiveness is never belabored.

When closer “baleful solitude” came to nothingness, I immediately felt the weight of its silence. Despite a short runtime, “Tragedy As Catharsis” demands patience and focus during every single second it occupies. If you are willing to tune in, DYPOTBOTD will leave a strong impact.