Drudkh: Microcosmos (2009)

Here is another band it seems like I have been reviewing a lot lately.  Drudkh is of course a Ukrainian black metal band whose sound tends toward the atmospheric side of black metal, instead of the more aggressive sound. 

This is not one of the albums that is typically mentioned when people talk about Drudkh.  Usually the first four or five albums are the ones most often referenced, and in particular, Blood in Our Wells.  The band had settled into a general sound by the time this, their seventh full-length, rolled around.  So this album does not really stand out much from the rest of the band's material.  That in no way is a bad thing, because Drudkh basically do what they do best on this album: atmospheric black metal that feels like the soundtrack to the fall.

The four true songs here are lengthy, lasting on average about ten minutes and they are generally built around a couple of sections.  The songwriting has gotten more complex on this release though and the bass has taken some huge strides to become a leading instrument in the riffing.  And there are some truly impressive guitar solos on this release as well that sound like traditional metal solos.  By and large, this album does make an impact, even though it is somewhat forgotten when looking at the band's career.

This is another quality release from a band that has made a career of them.  It does not quite rise to the level of some of the band's earlier releases, but it stands out amongst some of the band's mid-period releases.  I am still working my way through the Drudkh catalog, but this is a damn good album.

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.

Drudkh: Autumn Aurora (2004)

Here we have another Dread Records reissue of an album by the Ukrainian black metal band Drudkh.  This is the band's second album and it expands on some of the ideas presented in their first release.  This is now the fifth release I have picked up by the band, and there are a couple more coming.  It is safe to say that I have found a band that I thoroughly enjoy.

Autumn Aurora starts off with a short instrumental introduction track before getting into "Summoning the Rain".  The album appears to be a concept album about the change in the seasons from Autumn to Winter.  And honestly the music captures this atmosphere perfectly.  It is organic and breathtaking all at once.  There are long periods where there are no vocals and the band is just repeating an atmospheric riff, but these are generally the best parts of the album.  Nothing against the vocals, they are fine, but this is one of those albums that would almost sound better being just an instrumental release.  Sometimes the blackened screaming contrasts a little too sharply with the almost beautiful music.

I am still kind of exploring the Drudkh albums, so I do not have a real great handle on where this album ranks in their discography.  I like it better than the debut, though not as much as Blood in Our Wells or They Often See Dreams About the Spring.  Nevertheless, it is definitely not a weak album, there seems to be no such thing in the Drudkh discography.  At the very least, it is an appropriate album to listen to as the days shorten and become colder and Autumn overtakes the countryside.

Drudkh: Forgotten Legends (2003)

Dread Records has started to re-release Drudkh albums starting from the very beginning.  And this is that beginning.  Forgotten Legends is the Ukrainian black metal band's debut, released in 2003.  And as a result of my sudden interest in the band (this is my fourth album by Drudkh since checking them out for the first time last year), I jumped on it.  And I will likely do the same with each new (old) release.  The next one is already on its way.

I talked about the concern I had with Drudkh in the last post.  The reason that it took me so long to get into their music.  I do not see that as a continuing issue though and I am not going to get into it again here.  Quite simply, the music of Drudkh is terrific and any potential ideological issues with the band are tenuous enough to ignore. 

Drudkh emerge on their debut album fully-formed.  Very little has changed musically for the band in the more than fifteen years since their debut.  The Drudkh heard on their latest album is the same Drudkh that appeared here.  The album contains just four songs, three of which are proper songs, and each of those is lengthy.  The songs are generally based around slowly unfolding riffs with a lush and warm atmosphere that is unusual for a band whose primary influence was likely Burzum.  But where Burzum's music calls to mind icy winters, Drudkh's perfectly captures the feel of the autumn.

Drudkh's particular brand of atmospheric, folk-influenced black metal is hypnotic and mesmerizing.  It is a slow-burning melodic album that ebbs and flows naturally.  The album sounds like the soundtrack to the Fall.  It moves from the warm, lush melodies (even with the raspy vocals) of the opening strains to a much harsher final song that ultimately ends in a rain storm.

Later albums by the band would incorporate more traditional metal elements, such as guitar solos.  This release though was based in Burzum's take on atmospheric black metal.  The band puts their own spin on things though and does not fall into the trap of being a clone.  I am still discovering material by this band, but their debut is going to be hard to top.

Drudkh: Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006)

Something has been frustrating me lately.  I have seen a lot of stories in the metal media about bands getting concerts cancelled due to allegations about having NS ties.  Sometimes these ties are real, more often than not they are vague and tenuous, based on members having previously been in bands with members who have been in NS bands.  Or being signed to a label who happens to also release bands who have NS ties.  It is kind of pissing me off.  So, I have decided, I no longer give a fuck.  If I like a band's music, I will listen to them.  Maybe if the band is blatant about their particular ideology, I will avoid them.  So, this is the last time I will mention this issue.  And I have a Burzum album coming, so it will not be mentioned there, except perhaps in passing.

Drudkh is one of those bands with somewhat tenuous NS ties.  Two members of the band were previously in Hate Forest, a group who has also been accused of NS leanings, though those too are unclear.  But members of Drudkh have always been clear that Drudkh is not a political band and one of those former members is a history teacher.  And so Drudkh, from Ukraine, plays songs centered around Ukrainian history and folklore, and has been the subject of backlash because of this so-called nationalism.

But enough of that bullshit.  Drudkh is awesome.  This is an album I have been curious about for a long time.  When I first started truly delving into the metal underground upon taking my first job as an attorney, this was an album that I saw discussed at length and may have been voted the Album of the Year on the Metal Archives forums the year it was released.  Yet, I never got around to checking it out.  Until now, mostly as a result of truly discovering Drudkh on my own recently.

The album is a slow-burning masterpiece of atmospheric black metal.  The riffs are lush and beautiful, which is not a thing said often about black metal.  The album definitely has an autumn feel to it and a lot of folk elements in the style of the riffs and in the additional instrumentation which consists of some wind instruments.  There is an air of desperation in some of the riffs, and in particular in the vocals that is gripping and fascinating.  The vocals are typically delivered in a harsh growl, but even those growls sound natural and fit the tone of the music so well.  The songs ebb and flow naturally, with a rich, earthy atmosphere.  Sometimes they do tend to hang around a little too long, but by and large Drudkh manages to keep things fresh and entertaining.

This band continues to impress me.  It has only been about a year or so since I first checked them out and I am always amazed by their ability to take a genre that is typically ugly and make it sound beautiful and natural.  I am on a quest to hear as much from Drudkh as I can, because each time I get into an album, I am blown away.