It's been hard for me to find repetitive black metal that I enjoy... difficult to find that riff or combination or riffs that puts me into a meditative state rather than getting bored, or worse yet... irritated.
Drudkh are one of the few bands that gets it right. Even of their debut album they knew what to do: long songs, epic sweeping riffs that flow like a peaceful stream, and a clear sense of when to move from one riff to another. All of these ingredients are important in more conventional songs, but they are of paramount importance in an album like Forgotten Legends.
The lifeblood of Drudkh's sound is swirling riffs that repeat for several minutes. These riffs build or evolve, they are simply content to be as they are. They ride that razors edge of being too repetitive and sweeping me into another realm.
Drudkh are exceptionally good at knowing when a riff is about to overstay it's welcome. They move on to another part of the song before its too late. This mastery is something the band has always done well, and it's especially evident on the debut. I can only think of a handful of bands that do this at the same level that is on display on Forgotten Legends.
This is accomplished by having a keen sense of how to make all the instruments work together. The guitars have a rhythm to them and the drums will accent them perfectly. The band will then switch to a full chord riff and the drums will pick up the pace, again working in perfect harmony. Whatever the final result, every riff, every section, every song work together with near perfection.
This style would be mastered in Drudkh's next few albums. Forgotten Legends is something special though. It feels more like the bands fifth or sixth album (rather than a debut) with how well put together it is. It's the perfect album to put on as the night takes hold - listening to the repetitive art as the night takes over the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment