Album Review: ‘Battle Drum’ by Darmata

Recently I had the pleasure to preview an advance copy of Battle Drum, the latest 10-track LP from Chicago quartet Darmata. Battle Drum is the second release from the funk/rock group that has been playing various shows throughout the Windy City. After the jump, check out a review of Battle Drum before it releases August 30.

Containing Josh Delmar (Vocals), Nick Duffy (Bass/Vocals), Jim Tate (Guitar/Vocals) and Noah Gilbert (Drums/Percussion), Darmata originally formed in 2008 with drummer Austin Kennedy and guitarist Chris Deimler. Darmata’s overall philosophy: “Music is the ultimate form of artistic expression that has the ability to change our perception on things, therefore changing our reality.”

Guitarist Jim Tate commented on the upcoming album stating that,

“This time around we really wanted to focus on letting our creativity and passion show through our music. We wanted to create a more incendiary, rockin’ album. And I feel that’s a lot more evident on Battle Drum.“

After the first listen to Battle Drum, I knew the boys from Chicago had a clear, cohesive message for the whole album. They wanted to stick to their roots and straight rock your face off. The track “Bangarang” starts off like a good old fashioned southern fried rock song. It kicks into gear, going into an Incubus/Rage Against The Machine verse leading into a driving chorus. Lead singer Josh Delmar and drummer Noah Gilbert really shine on this track, especially on the heavy bridge.

What seems to be like the lead single off the album, and having shot a music video for it as well, “Settle My Own” has a making for a nice set closer. (Sublime fans may find the groove quite to their fancy.) With an upbeat tempo and a chorus that induces head banging and audience singalongs, “Settle My Own” may be their best overall.

The lead and album title track, “Battle Drum,” eases the listener into a groove that just builds to another catchy chorus. Guitarist Jim Tate riffs much like Tom Morello throughout the album, and more particularly this track. It is going to be hard to get “Bring the Battle Drum, don’t forget your Battle Drum” out of my head for quite some time. Take a listen to the first track of the album, “Battle Drum”:

Check out Battle Drum’s track listing here:

Battle Drum
Dot Dot Dot Go!
Hologram
Bangarang
Oracle
Settle My Own
Today
Down
Confrontation
Energy

Overall, Battle Drum is a refreshing sound of good rock, taken from various influences to create an overall voice and tone that speaks for itself. After reviewing the album, I thought to myself, “where can this band head?” With consistent and persistent touring, and general songwriting maturation, Darmata’s future shows great potential. A mini Midwest tour or some sort of long run of shows could help the band pave a path to what lies ahead.