Claiming influences like A Perfect Circle, Incubus, and Green Day, Marcato capture the raw energy of their predecessors without directly sounding like them at any point on the album.

Lead singer Kevin Drew's incredible voice conveys meaningful emotion, in front of a backdrop of smooth guitar riffs and deep bass and drums.

This EP is clearly less "metal" than the band's previous releases "The Color of a Fading Masterpiece", and "In The Absence of Violent Motion", yet the musical intensity remains and, in my opinion, exceeds that of the band's earlier outings.

One drawback is that, with only 6 songs, the album is a little short. Still, "The World Is Drowning" is Marcato's best work, and I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.

If you're a fan of bands like the Cure, Deftones, Queens of the Stone Age, or U2, I highly recommend this album.

Overall rating: 4 stars [ * * * * ]

~ V, Indie Online and Unsigned Webzine