[Review] Drudkh - ‘Shadow Play’ LP.
Author: Dean
Band: Drudkh
Release: Shadow Play (LP)
Date: March 21st
Label: Season of Mist
DRUDKH - SHADOW PLAY
There is something, I believe, in the notion of Atmospheric Black Metal that channels the shadow side of the human psyche. Whilst traditional Black Metal can often open us up to the catharsis of dealing with the imagery of Satan, the Occult, the horrors of the cosmos etc, Atmospheric Black Metal takes on a more pragmatic stance in accepting and embracing the darkness that dwells within ourselves, and the world around us.
It teaches us to be still in the moment, resolved to make sense of the unpleasant realities of life, and greet them with profound humility in the fact that we are oftentimes powerless observers. Drudkh continues with each release to manifest these qualities through their compositions, and Shadow Play is no exception.
This six-track offering is aptly named as in its’ construction, Drudkh deftly interplays light and dark to deliver a broody, moving and meditative journey. One which, when given the serious attention it deserves, will draw your thoughts into a range of emotions and connect your soul to dark realities - ones beyond the frivolous and mundane of our everyday lives. Verging on the dark melodramatic rather than aggressive power riffing of more heavy Black Metal acts, the heaviness is manifested more as an outpouring of human emotions, layered and complex, masterfully imbibed almost to the point of emotional suffocation. If you are at times thinking the world is getting too much, the world is what it is.
The album opens with a cold, forsaken and reverb-drenched lamentation, absent of vocals. Ambient sounds of ‘Scattering The Ashes’ can be heard throughout. The backdrop to a solemnly beautiful lilting refrain on a semi-acoustic. It is slow and mesmerising, and fills you with a sense of loss and sadness for its duration.
Track 2, ‘April’, suddenly pulls you out of this forlorn sorrow with a lightning rush of blast beats, high tremolo lead, rapid riffing and whirring keys. The ethereal howling keys become more pronounced in the bridge to the chorus, the lead and bass constructing an intense melody which itself breaks into a real sense of profound urgency in the chorus. Thurios’ vocals desperately scream out over the top of it all. Going back to the initial invasion of Ukraine, April 2022 was heart wrenching as fierce assaults broke out, particularly in the east and the south of the country, and mass graves were found in Bucha to the north.
The general atmosphere on this album is one of resilience in the face of desperation. No guesses as to why and no wonder such intensely sublime Black Metal is clawing its way out of the oppression in Ukraine presently. Politics aside, the current circumstances lay the backdrop for remarkably poignant and emotionally scarring transcriptions. You don’t need to speak Ukrainian, you can hear the fury and pain in Thurios’ voice. I gather that the sparing vocals throughout the recording are incredibly weighty and impressionable in their meaning. Thurios delivers like screaming into a gaping void with anguish. Is this the voice of collective trauma?
Track 3, ‘The Exile’, begins with a warm, meaty bass slide - and the bass’ melody is captivating throughout. The track itself pulses with anguish and desperation. The lead melody is sharp and dissonant, true to tone for more modern Black Metal. It has a real driving, memorable cadence to it, and is well complemented by Vlad’s drumming.
Some of the transitions on the album are interesting in their structure and design, but I got the feeling they could have been more impactful. The ferocious build in ‘Fallen Blossom’ is appreciated, but doesn’t really transpire to the killer drop I was expecting. The preceding track ‘The Exile ’ is less understated, and certainly has this rush-of-blood feel as the lead guitar and drums power into the chorus. This cleverly constructed melodic rise can almost sweep you into a state of spiritual or esoteric awareness. I mean, seriously heart-ripping stuff.
Some of the delivery of these tracks feels strained or suppressed, almost consistent with the general feeling of bitter struggle faced by the general populace. The album as a whole conveys a feeling of exhaustion and depletion; bleak melancholy exudes the space each track dwells within. However, there is always reprieve from the darkness and despair. Brief glimmers of hope intermittently play out such as on track 5, ‘The Eve’. This is evident in the ethereal guitars and the bell-like chimes of the keys. There is a strength and dignity portrayed here as Thurios regales us like a poet. The guitar riff has a real determination, a victorious tenacity. Not only does it deliver the fastest segment of the track, but also the jubilant memory that keeps you humming along. It lingers long after the track, like the glimmer of morning sunlight filtering through autumn leaves of the Polissya forests.
The closer (‘The Thirst)’ begins with a rapid-paced bass kick and tremolo lead reminiscent of Ukrainian folk, ethereal keys rising up hauntingly subdued in the background. Thurios rasps through the verse, and then the pace switches to a more deliberate drum beat. Guitars drop the riff to a lower octave, a much more pronounced slower chorus with more deliberated, extended chords. This pattern continues until we hit the six-and-a-half minute mark, where the drums pound into a desperate collapse. The track is then laid bare to just the lead guitar, playing a wistful melody to an underlying chord played as separate notes. Then the drums re-enter with some immaculate bass, and chords from the keyboards. As the atmosphere builds, there is choral singing in the background, which is almost reminiscent of a hymn. The drums pick up with a nice, flowing bass-kick and some of the exquisite elements previously heard throughout the album, like the scratchy reverb guitar and the chiming notes of the keyboard. These elements play themselves out to Thurios’ last, desperate screams.
All in all, this album is true to form for Drudkh and carries you into some dark, reflective moments. It is well-produced and satisfying as a complete listening experience. I do struggle to find any momentous or stand-out portions of the album. What leads me to this conclusion, is that even my favourite tracks (April and The Eve) are both strong compositions, but do not imprint me with any real wow factor. Not to be dismissive, Shadow Play is worthy of repeated listens, but doesn’t quite elicit the same reaction as previous works such as 2006’s Blood in Our Wells.
I’m giving it 6/10 Shadows.
Link to Full Album Stream, courtesy of Season of Mist: