Sellouts. One minute Drudkh are the most arcane of entities, playing only in a cloud of mist that prohibits any form of publicity, and the next they indulge in such common pursuits as owning a MySpace page. Before we know it they’ll be down the Underworld with Fen opening for them – the world is such a crazy place at times! As pretentious as such a policy may seem, Drudkh really are a band whose music is more than capable of doing all of the talking and certainly on this debut album it communicates far more than any photographs, interviews or lyrics possibly could. The cover of course gives an indication of what to expect, and as with all this bands album covers its minimalism really seems to put the music into visual form. Close your eyes and this will truly help you to escape into a tranquil world and to fill your senses with the sights, sounds and aromas of the forest.
From the moment the album kicks in with ‘False Dawn’ you’ll feel as though you’ve been ripped away from the modern world entirely as this takes one on a seemingly endless hike through the woodlands, the ambience shifting and changing as night turns to day and are met with a sudden danger as a raging inferno sweeps through the treetops. This really is an album best enjoyed with the curtains drawn, computer off and incense burning while you lay back and let the pine scents lure you in. This track has a real swagger to it, in the snare-heavy drums that are delivered with a chaotic and feral furore that really fights for supremacy against the guitars which simply have me hypnotised and drawn in with its harsh yet vastly tuneful repetitions. There is a ton of distortion that seems to rise and fall while never losing that intense feeling of solitude.
There is genuine despair in the vocals which break up the long, instrumental parts of this album nicely while sitting so easily in the mix so as not to distract from the music. The ears are drawn beyond the ravaged cries straight into the orderly chaos that is happening underneath and really it’s best not to make out whatever is being sung here as that would detract from the atmosphere and the mystique which are the things that really make this album so mesmerising. After fifteen minutes building up, we reach ‘Forests in Fire and Gold’ which really ups the ante in terms of ferocious guitars that really set things ablaze and by now you get the feeling that the whole forest is engulfed by the flames and can only be left for nature to take its course. The bass kicks out an extraordinary amount of power on ‘Eternal Turn Of The Wheel’ and there is a sudden desperation that comes across in the jarring shift from the stable melody into a sudden blackened riff that introduces a melancholic choral line into the fold adding yet another layer. The elements create such a rich sound and there is a great deal going on here yet it all sits splendidly against the ears.
‘Smell Of Rain’ is certainly an apt title for the closing track as the previous number stops suddenly and the heavens burst open; you can feel the warm rain pelting down, rustling against the leaves and smothering the flames while the wind rushes through the darkness. All ends with a crash of thunder and it seems the album has come full circle! 4 tracks; 40 minutes; and those minutes fly by with the wind! A stunning album filled with atmosphere, despair and solitude and one totally at peace with nature. Forgotten Legend? Well, if you have forgotten about this, or like me it has simply passed you by, then I guarantee it won’t be forgotten for long. An absolute masterpiece and a must have for the collection of any black metal fan.
http://www.myspace.com/drudkhofficial
