Kim Dracula - A Gradual Decline In Morale
Released July 14, 2023
Samuel Wellings (Kim Dracula), Unknown Backing Band
Genre: Metal, Rap, Jazz Metal, Fusion Pop
Intro
This is an artist i first found out about at a live show. They opened for In This Moment and I had absolutely no idea who they were until the banshee shrieks and saxophone metal started. With that though it not only caught me off guard but also interested me, and after listening to a few singles I think this album is worth my time to not only listen but review. So with that out of the way lets get into the review.
Thoughts & Feelings
This album makes me feel like I just watched a musical about the inner machinations of a psychopath's brain. The random twists, turns, jumps, falls, everything. This album was hard to describe so just listen to it.
Smash or Pass?
A Gradual Decline In Morale- Smash. Very theatrical opening track, definitely a perfect mood setter for the album to follow. Just an instrumental but the high pitched screams show Kim's vocal talent.
My Confession- SMASH. RHCP???? This sounds like a RHCP song with the slap base and rapped vocals. Then it morfs into Pop metal. GOD DAMN KIM CAN RAP FAST. The way that Kim uses a narrator on this album is hilarious. This song fucking slaps but could never be on a playlist.
The Pledge:- Smash. Just an instrumental bridge between songs.
Luck Is A Fine Thing- SMASH. Heavy opening then breaks into a hardstyle with really good rapped vocals and singing. Kim's voice is fucking NUTS, beautiful singing, brutal screams, and more all in the span of 5 seconds. The production on these songs is incredible. The use of multiple voices to portray "characters" makes this feel like a story. This is so hard to review because its just fucking WILD. Like this sounds like 5 songs mixed together but they work PERFECTLY together.
Drown- SSMMMMAASASSHHH. ANOTHER PERFECT TRANSITION. This is one of 3 songs I knew by Kim before doing this review and it holds up incredibly along with everything else here. Kim's voice is so unique that I just cant stop bringing it up. If that's all you get from this review, just know they sound absolutely fucking AMAZING, and is just as good live. The way this song goes from metal to rap, to pop, back to metal, with jazz is amazing.
Superhero- SSMMMASSHH. FUNKY AS FUCK. This was one of the 3 i knew, and again, its amazing. The mix of funk, jazz, trap, metal, and punk all show here. The songs are super short but they all have like 12 genres going on here. These songs are so fucking funky and fun with some of the most brutal vocals I've heard in years.
Are You?- SMASH. ANOTHER PERFECT TRANSITION. This song is so fucking weird but its just good. the lyrics are utter nonsense but they make perfect sense at the same time. This one really shows off how good of a vocalist Kim is. And yes I know I listed their real name above but out of respect for the artist and for respect of their self identity I'm calling them Kim.
Land Of The Sun- SSSMMMAAASSSHH. HEAVY AS FUCK OPENING. GOD DAMN THIS IS HEAVY AS FUCK FOR A RAP ALBUM. KIM'S SCREAMS ARE SO FUCKING BRUTA- Then it breaks into a slow jazzy section with soft voc- WE ARE SO FUCKING BACK GOD DAMN THIS IS HEAV- Now its pun- Now its Jaz- Now its a metalcore chorus with catchy vocals and a nice instrumenta- DEATH GROWLS HOLY SHIT THIS IS NUTS KIM IS SO FUCKING BRUTAL ON THE MIC- Arab sectio- BACK TO METAL- Now its peutro Rican rap i thin- NOW ITS MEXICAN METAL WHAT THE FUC- Back to the metalcore chorus what in the fuck is happening here I'm so conf- Back to Peurto Rican rap with brainrot noises and random speaking over it what the fuck was this. Commercial break next according to the track. Needed.
The Turn:- Smash. Commercial Break!!!!
Divine Retribution- SMASH. SCREAM DRILL IS SO FUCKING CRAZY NOW. This is peak drill mixed with the screaming Kim has already made themselves known for. Now its a funky pop track with some absolute insanity being spit by the narrator. HEAVY AS FUCK METAL BREAKDOWN. Then it becomes a techo bop with some of the strangest vocalizations i have ever heard. This song helps to reveal the true story here. I will break THAT down at the end though. WHAT AN ENDING.
Undercover- SMASH. HEAVY INTRO INTO SOME FUNKY SHIT WITH MORE METAL. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THIS ALBUM BRO IM SO LOST (I'm not actually but I was on first listen). WHAT IN THE FUCK IS HAPPENING HERE THIS IS A FUCKING POLKA. THEN FUCK MORE SCREAMING AND THE BEST FUCKING HIGH NOTES I HAVE EVER HEARD. This one also helps to build the story, especially with the chorus.
Industry Secrets- SSMASSHH. FUNKY AS FUCK. Clean vocals, with some classic funky elements. Its so funny hearing an Enby complain about hating gays (part of the story). This is a big story track. THE HARDSTYLE BREAKDOWN. Kim is fucking losing it at this point. What the fuck are these songs.
Rosé- SMASH. A ballad? Its a slow opening track with 1950's style vocals. This song is also twice as long as every other song on here. Nevermind Kim's back to singing about murder and alcohol. Now their really start to lose it just repeating "drinking" over and over again before just breaking into a fit over someone named Caroline. HEAVY ASS BREAKDOWN WITH SOME INSANE VOCALIZATIONS.
Seventy Thorns- SMASH. HEAVY AS FUCK WITH A FEATURE FROM JONATHAN DAVIS. Then it breaks into a hardstyle rap song with weird ass lyrics and just general insanity being present at all times. This sounds more like Thrash Metal than the deathcore/hardcore we've been seeing here. One of the weirder ones so far.
The Prestige:- Smash. This is a huge story track. not much to talk about as its just the narrator talking.
Reunion And Reintegration- SSMMASSHH. HEAVY AS FUCKKKKKKKK. This is the closest to a "normal" Metal song thus far. Machine gun drums (spoilers) and some deranged vocals. the deathcore vocals here are insane.
Kitty Kitty- SMASH. Funky bassline and some really well made techno rap with a great guitar riff. Then breaks into a metal ballad with the incredible vocals I've come to expect from Kim. This is just Kim fucking losing their shit in the form of a song. Incoherent rambling vocals and whatnot. This leads into the story climax. And the gold medal.
Make Me Famous- SSSSSMMMMMMAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHH. THE CLIMAX IS HERE WITH MASS MURDER AND DERANGED RAMBLINGS!!! THIS SONG IS WHAT THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN BUILDING TO. The main character finally losing and giving into the narrator and committing crimes the likes of the main character of Black Parade. Yup. Another School Shooting song. However unlike black parade this one outright says it and shames the media for giving the perpetrators any fame. THE DEATHCORE BREAKDOWN AT THE END WITH THE MACHINE GUN DRUMS IS THE PERFECT WAY TO DESCRIBE THIS SONG.
Iris- SSMMMASHHH. And the best way to reconcile on the previous actions. A cover of a song about loss. Yes this is a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls song. And a very fucked up and disturbed version at that. Sounds like one of those 2015 Creepypasta edits of a "long lost recording" of a pop song. This is actually a very well made cover and fits perfectly into this album as a whole. The distorted breakdown at the end sums up EVERYTHING.
The End, For Now- Smash. Albums over Kim's dead. That's it lol.
Conclusion
This album is something. The story is just the character (Kim)'s mental decline, or even their "Gradual Decline In Morale", leading to the school shooting at the end and the taking of their own life. Yup. It's fucking NUTS, so listen to it.
RANK: A
Sorry for no reviews in the past little while, got busy but now I will be free to do more and hopefully be back to weekly reviews soon. As always thanks for reading and please leave feedback in the comments. Definitely check out this album and this artist.
-Jake (JunosBestFriend)
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