REVIEW OF “FIRST YOU TAKE THE DRINK, THEN THE DRINK TAKES THE MAN” by ’92 in the Shade / Reviewer: Andre Avanessian
Opening with a bombastic combo of chest-rattling drums and delightfully dirty riff-work, the track establishes an immediate sense of dissonance and discord. The grungy guitar riffs, laden with oodles of distortion, reverberate with unsettling intensity, creating an auditory landscape that mirrors the fractured mental state of the protagonist grappling with addiction. The untamed energy of the instrumentals foreshadows the chaotic narrative that unfolds throughout the song and the clever use of dissonance helps mirror the unpredictable nature of addiction perfectly. The rhythm section, a relentless force, drives the track forward with an almost hypnotic persistence. The instrumental arrangement captures the internal chaos of the subject, accentuating the tumultuous nature of the addictive cycle whilst the lyrics whisk up a number of vividly detailed drunken escapades, managing to imbue the narrative with some well-placed humor along the way. The chorus becomes a frenzied chant, each repetition of “First you take the drink, then the drink takes the man” echoing the inevitability and cyclical nature of the destructive behavior. The shouted exclamations inject a raw, rebellious energy into the track, intensifying the emotional impact and reinforcing the urgency of the song’s message.
This is a hard-hitting alternative rocker and I’m sure fans of the genre will find it to be a worthwhile listening experience.
About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K.