Italy's Drunken Crocodiles Release "Ægony", A Beautifully Inspired, Powerfully Executed, and Multifaceted Study of Ego
Drunken Crocodiles is a band from Italy who specializes in a very unrestrained brand of stoner and psychedelic rock emmeshed with sludge.
The band got their start in 2012, homing in on their signature sound by dedicating their formative years to experimentation and live performances. Before 2016, Drunken Crocodiles released two EPs and committed to writing their first full-length album the following year. The resulting effort, titled Out Of Barrell, was released in 2019 through Too Loud Records and gave rise to an extensive Eastern European tour. The pandemic led to a short hiatus, but by late 2021, the band had finalized their lineup: founder Elia Borelli (vocals, bass), Federico Pardini (guitar), and Simone Silvestre (drums). The group immediately set to work with renewed energy, taking on another European tour in 2023 and setting to work on their newest album, Ægony, in the summer of 2024, releasing it on March 21, 2025, via Octopus Rising/Argonauta Records.
Ægony was recorded in a very raw and unfiltered manner, utilizing an analog approach and shunning any semblance over processing. In this way, Drunken Crocodiles ensures their listeners are getting the real deal: a performance that's inarguably as honest as it is intense.
My favorite aspect of Ægony, however, is that it was built around a concept that every listener can relate to: the terrible consequences of an ego allowed to run amok. Specifically, the album addresses how these monstrous power trips affect the community and larger world. Perhaps most interestingly, each track on Ægony is derived from a real-life occurrence. At its core, however, the album asks a fundamental question: "Doesn't the ego shape all actions, steering humanity away from harmony and deeper connections?"Ægony implies that "a more unified existence, where collective progress replaces individual dominance" can lead us "toward true awareness and balance." As you'll find out, Drunken Crocodiles did such a phenomenal job of executing this vision and tying in representational examples of each facet of the ego to be explored, that I was compelled to learn more about the true stories that inspired them. For this reason, this review will be nearly equal parts history lesson and praise for the band, as I think some background information about each track will really enable the listener to appreciate the moral lesson behind it that much more. And, if I'm being completely honest, once the intrigued and curious little nerd energy in me is roused, it's difficult to quell, so here we go:
Drunken Crocodiles - Ægony
1.) First Point of Libra (intro featuring Emil Cioran quote)
2.) Autojektor (Ego vs. Mortality) "Inspired by Sergei Brukhoneko's experiments"
Autojektor delves into the marrow of the album, and it's a densely layered track inspired by Sergei Brukhoneko's experiments.
Brukhoneko was a Soviet physician and scientist who is known for the development of the autojektor, an early extracorporeal life support machine. This device was utilized in a series of experiments in the early 1920s, with dogs being the primary subjects. These experiments, in which parts of or entire bodies of canines were reanimated, were the basis of a 1940 documentary film called Experiments in the Revival of Organisms. Though it's been the topic of much praise and many references in popular culture, the legitimacy of the film has been questioned.
As Autojektor gets its start, you're fooled for a moment into thinking it's going to be a feel-good stoner jam, but things get very intense very quickly, warping the song into quite the psychological thriller. Initially, gritty stoner/desert choruses trade off with mind-bending psychedelic verses. However, the trippy interludes ultimately take over, signaling a disconnect from reality as the vocals tremble and coarsen with genuine feeling, an emotiveness that's enough to make the listener wince with empathy.
The official music video for "Autojektor"
3.) Rainmaker (Ego vs. Nature) "Dedicated to Charles Hatfield"
Rainmaker is dedicated to Charles Hatfield, an American cloud seeder (or "moisture accelerator", as he affectionately called it), who rose to fame in the early 1900s for developing a cocktail of chemicals that (supposedly) produced rain when introduced into the atmosphere. However, the authenticity of this rainmaking was later called into question as Hatfield's attempts were a hodgepodge of successes, failures, and rather catastrophic flooding that caused extensive damage. Though these negative outcomes had little effect on his popularity and demand, many people claimed that Hatfield's rainmaking ability had everything to do with his meteorological knowledge and nothing to do with his chemical formula, as he had the skill set to predict when rain was likely anyway.
Rainmaker is appropriately dominated by delicate but eerie notes, indicative of an incoming storm and heavy with a building charge. Not quite midway through the song, wailing guitar strikes like white hot lightning as the percussion and bass provide a thunderous rumble. Vocals rapidly gain feeling and intensity as they recount dear "Charlie's" plight to prove his legitimacy. Rainmaker culminates in a grand tempest that beckons one to marvel at its potential, much as Charles Hatfield wished for himself.
4.) Le Divin Marquis (Ego vs. Society) "Exploring the legacy of Marquis de Sade"
Marquis de Sade was a French nobleman who was no stranger to questioning both authority and morality, and he grossly pushed the boundaries of sexuality, especially considering the time period in which he lived (1740--1814). Sade is best known for authoring several pornographic novels that describe acts of sexual violence. In fact, the term "sadism" comes from the surname of the Marquis himself and takes its inspiration from the pages of his books. Sade was ultimately imprisoned and institutionalized for sex crimes (amongst other things), but his writings and life have been studied well into the 20th century, some calling the Marquis an early Nietzsche or Freud.
Le Divin Marquis also begins some great stoner/desert tones. Coarse and roisterous, the song emulates a party of grand proportions, reveling in a life of unabashed hedonism. The vocals do a fabulous job of portraying a character who partakes in such habits, coming off as believably manic to the point of being crazed. This fervor only intensifies, even as the song cloaks itself in cool psychedelia for a slowdown at the midway mark. In fact, this transition signifies the outing of and downfall of Sade. As he's whisked away to answer for his debauchery, Le Divin Marquis culminates in a crunchy, percussive frenzy, the rollicking bassline hanging out where it can be seen on the higher end of the scale, as if shaking its head in judgmental disbelief.
The official music video for "Le Divin Marquis"
5.) Homo Homini Lupus (Ego vs. Instinct) "Reflecting on human's primal nature"
Homo Homini Lupus takes an opposite approach compared to the songs we've heard thus far on Ægony. This time, rather than bursting out of the gate with fast-paced heaviness, Drunken Crocodiles begin the song in the most bare bones manner: a prominent drum lick, some scratching upon the guitar strings, and a cautious, crawling, and deliciously fuzzy bassline. The guitar adds in some very spacey effects as the overall tone grows even more apprehensive. I already can't help but think of a predator-prey scenario: sneaking about and watching before giving sudden chase. Interestingly enough, that's exactly what Homo Homini Lupus does at the middle mark by rather suddenly launching into some psych-laden doomy riffage. It lumbers at first as it builds up speed before its gait evolves into galloping stoner/desert rock. The vocals join in, appropriately harsh but still very melodic underneath. The most interesting part of this nearly six-and-a-half-minute track is the tension that builds as it transitions, keeping the listener excitedly on edge.
6.) Slow Burn (Ego vs. Property) "Reflecting on the genocide of Native Americans"
Slow Burn, while palpably rife with pain, is beautifully strong and steadfast in its message. It begins with mellow, sorrowful guitar and hushed but emotionally raw vocals that recount the plight of the Native Americans while emphasizing their unique relationship to the Earth that gives them strength. The song does pick up midway through with a confident but still noticeably dejected riff that, to me, is representative of the fortitude of the Native Americans in spite of the unspeakable atrocities committed against them. Slow Burn decelerates again just before fading out, ending in the same way it began with powerfully haunting tones.
7.) Behavioral Sink (Ego vs. Evolution) "Inspired by John B. Calhoun's studies"
"Behavioral sink" is a term coined by American ethologist John B. Calhoun to describe a decline in healthy behavioral patterns as a result of overpopulation. He famously conducted experiments on rats and mice in the late 50s and early 60s in which the animals, having unlimited access to food and water, were free to breed without restraint. Naturally, gross overpopulation and crowding occurred, and the animals began to exhibit negative changes in their behavior including a lack of interest in socializing, breeding, and parenting. Ultimately, some animals showed a preference for an isolated, solitary lifestyle. These mice were considered to be "beautiful", as they boasted shiny coats free of the scars from fighting with their peers. Other rodents began to exhibit anti-social conduct and depression. At this point, breeding ceased, and the population began hurtling toward extinction. Calhoun believed that these results could be compared to what could happen to humans if our population grows too large.
Behavioral Sink is the longest song on Ægony at just over ten minutes long. Similarly to Slow Burn, it begins with muted but expressive tones, but this time, the mood is much more apprehensive than sorrowful. The guitar and bass begin an eerie but wary psychedelic dance as the drums join in, much more overt with their worry, mimicking a nervous heartbeat. The pace and intensity blow up about one third of the way through, emulating the frustration and aggression experienced by the exploding rodent populations, individuals futilely fighting for their lives and turning on each other. The instrumentals suddenly quiet as the question is asked: "Can we grow in a better way?" The mood is softer now and is somehow hopeful in tone, even though the situation itself is anything but. This latter third of the song is one of my very favorite moments on Ægony, a triumphant climax of soaring instrumentals and a stellar, impassioned vocal performance. Considering the gravity of the song's inspiration, this brighter perspective feels like an outsider is looking in; a voice from the future that, while calling out a warning, introduces an equal amount of optimism.
8.) First Point of Aries (outro featuring Giordano Bruno quote)
Final Thoughts
Wow. Where to begin with this beauty?
I suppose I'll start with the more surface level attributes of Ægony and the fact that it's a fabulously well-rounded album with remarkably sophisticated composition. Throughout the album, you'll hear influences of barreling stoner/desert rock, viscous sludge metal, murky grunge, soaring alternative, and kaleidoscopic psychedelic rock for the most part. However, the styles present here are far less important than the heart of Ægony: its track-by-track examination of ego.
I had a BLAST writing this review. As stated earlier, I'm quite fond of learning and researching and to say that Ægony piqued my curiosity would be a massive understatement. Admittedly, I was mostly unfamiliar with many of the real-world examples of ego presented on the album, and immersing myself in these people and historical events ended up being vital to fully grasping not only the concept of the album, but the necessity for the powerfully expressive manner in which it's delivered.
Knowing this, it's important to note that the genres Drunken Crocodiles draw from on Ægony are the tools with which they whittle down to the core of the album and the call for unification and connection among people. The band makes masterfully skillful use of building and layering to sonically reenact the events and ideas referenced on Ægony, employing well-placed interludes that range from blisteringly intense to dreamlike and ethereal to illustrate critical junctures and epiphanies. Taking this a step further, the vocals are mind-blowingly expressive, seamlessly moving from these heavier and lighter atmospheres as deftly as a seasoned thespian. And, as much as I would like to say the singing here is much like the acting in theater, the emotion behind it is so authentic and believable, the listener can physically feel it.
In that vein, Ægony is one of those albums that is not only immensely gratifying for the heavy music fan, but it's one that you'll learn quite a lot from. It's a gorgeous, deep album that's not for the faint of heart. Ægony will implore you to challenge some of your own morals while looking deeply into the catastrophic lack of them in others, a journey that can be a bit uncomfortable at times. However, this is discomfort in the best sense of the word because it's discomfort as it relates to empathy and understanding our fellow humans. You'll think, you'll get angry, you'll question many things, but you'll certainly rock out while doing so.
More About Drunken Crocodiles
You can follow Drunken Crocodiles and listen to their music at the following links:
A massive thank you to Argonauta Records and Grand Sounds PR for the promo!
If you like Drunken Crocodiles, you might also like An Evening With Knives!
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