California Cursed
California Cursed brings a sharp metal edge to Drain's hardcore. The guitars move quickly, the rhythms have a strong bounce and Sammy Ciaramitaro gives the music a restless vocal presence. It is an energetic debut with several convincing ideas, although the slower breakdowns do not always carry the same force as the faster playing around them.
Feel the Pressure sets the scene with coastal sounds before the guitars take over. The heavy opening moves into a more rhythmic hardcore passage, with the vocal providing a strong point of connection. The shift introduces the album's blend of fast attack and more measured weight clearly.
Army of One is particularly effective at the faster end of that range. Its darker melodic guitar part leads into a forceful performance, showing how the band can make the metal influence serve a direct song. Ciaramitaro's shouts remain an important source of energy.
Character Fraud works through another useful exchange between a heavier breakdown and faster guitar playing. The changes keep the arrangement active instead of simply repeating the same level of pressure. Drain sound most convincing when the different speeds have a clear relationship to one another.
Hollister Daydreamer provides a very different pause. A repeated guitar figure supports a more unsettled lead part, giving the instrumental a quieter but still tense character. The title track eventually closes the record with waves and a distorted surf-rock sample, bringing the coastal setting back into view.
The production keeps many details clear, but the lower end does not always match the vocal's intensity. Some of the slower sections reduce the momentum rather than making the following attack stronger. The repeated approach can also make individual songs harder to separate, despite the short running time.
Even so, California Cursed has a clear sense of character. The strongest riffs and rhythmic changes give its heavier sound an inviting energy, and the voice helps hold the performances together. More consistent weight and tighter use of the breakdowns would improve the whole album, but Drain already have enough distinctive strengths to make this debut worth exploring.
