Drudkh: Лебединий шлях (The Swan Road) (2005)

Yes, I am back to another Drudkh album.  This is the fourth album I have reviewed, and there are more to come.  I recently purchased a box set containing the first four Drudkh albums, this despite the fact that I already had three of them.  I do not really know why I did that.  It was my first chance to get this album I suppose. 

This is Drudkh's third album and probably the most overlooked of their first several albums, though I really do not know why.  I really like this album, despite the fact that it does not produce the same kind of atmosphere of their other releases like Autumn Aurora or Blood in Our Wells.  It is in some ways a much more straightforward black metal album.  There are several tracks that have minimal folk melodies and progress like standard, albeit lengthy, black metal tracks.  Songs like "Blood" showcase the band's black metal foundation.  The band has also expanded their musical abilities, particularly through the guitar solos on "Glare of 1768".

That is not to say the folk elements are absent this time around.  There is a lengthy folk-influenced lead-in in the first track and an acoustic section in the aforementioned "Glare of 1768".  The final track is a rather superfluous one, featuring acoustic guitars and folk singing.  It is okay for what it is but it does drag on a little too long.

This album finds Drudkh working on expanding their horizons, drifting into a more musically complex sound, but at the expense of some of what made their earlier albums (and later ones) so captivating.  That being said, it is still a tremendously impressive release, it just pales in comparison to some of their better work.