 | Tracklist:
1. Days That Passed
2. Distant Cries Of Cranes
3. Decadence
4. Ars Poetica
5. Everything Unsaid Before
6. Widow's Grief
Release Date: 06/22/2009 | |
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On 33 Lists
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| Summary: a return to form. |
6 of 6 thought this review was well written
2007’s Estrangement was yet another observation by the allusive Ukrainian group Drudkh, and although it furthered their standing as one of the only black metal bands who can incorporate folk into metal without coming off as sickeningly lame, it did not retain appeal to the extent of earlier works, namely their seminal Blood in Our Wells. Obviously having learnt from their lapse in consistency, Microcosmos delivers on all levels; the classic Drudkh style of intertwining melodies interspersed with clever acoustic interludes is exemplary, with the added benefit of tight and well formulated song-writing emphasizing the album’s poignancy.
The four songs that comprise the brunt of the album are book ended by two short instrumental pieces, which both open and close the album on a gentle note. The in-between however, is a combination of aggressive riffing and despondent melody, although not without the added fragility that is a given with Drudkh. ’Distant Cries of Cranes’ immediately throws the listener into the album’s bleak atmosphere, and the variation herein, particularly the deconstructed interlude towards the end in which the bass leads the way, keeps the song undeniably interesting and on edge.
Despite having already heard it outside the confines of the album, ‘Everything Unsaid Before’ fits in perfectly with the album’s overall quality, opening with a harrowing lead that fluidly tapers out into the structure of the song. ‘Decadence’ and ‘Ars Poetica’ have no shortage of Drudkh’s subtle touch of frailty, and one would be hard pressed to proclaim any one of the four songs as significantly better than the others.
What comes naturally to Drudkh, and is perhaps portrayed more clearly on their ‘better’ records, is their compositional cohesion – the simple amalgamation of melody and technicality (or really, the lack thereof) is remarkably pleasant on Microcosmos, and the somewhat lengthy tracks go past without a moment’s notice. Pick any melancholic lead on the album (or even their shred-like solo on ‘Distant Cries of Cranes’), and the context in which it is used is relatively perfect – it could not be bettered in any shape or form. The aforementioned lead in ‘Everything Unsaid Before’ is a fantastic example of the band’s exemplary song-writing, where everything gels together without a single hitch in ambiance.
From the slow and mournful tone of ‘Decadence', to the somewhat unrestrained and folksier feel of ‘Ars Poetica’ and the unrelenting nature of ‘Everything Unsaid Before’, you can be sure that Microcosmos does not drift off into the mundane in its musical conveyance. It could be argued that the understated drone influence more commonly associated with Drudkh’s music is somewhat diminished on their latest record; this may put off long time fans, but it would be a hard stretch to say that their music has changed very much at all, or at least for the worse. Nevertheless, one should not expect the hypnotic and tranquil feel of Drudkh’s music to be absent – it is still here, and in full force.
It comes as a relief that Microcosmos is so well put together – by this stage, weaker bands would undeniably be struggling to put out material rivaling their best work. Drudkh clearly state with this record that they are not one of these weaker bands, nor do they feel the need to drop into the confines of mediocrity to keep their name afloat. Microcosmos, as mentioned earlier, delivers on all levels – as a black metal record, as one which incorporates the band’s signature folk influences, and as an affecting piece of music. Perhaps not their best work, but the album will no doubt appease fans both old and new. Highly recommended.
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Good review, i guess i'll check this out. Just a small grammatical error i noticed:
From the slow and mournful tone of ‘Decadence, to the somewhat unrestrained and folksier feel of ‘Ars Poetica’ and the unrelenting nature of ‘Everything Unsaid Before’,
should be a ' after Decadence
Digging: Lagwagon - Let's Talk About Feelings
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good eyes, fixxed.
Digging: Codeine - The White Birch
| | | Album Rating: 4
cant wait for this album
Digging: Iron Age - The Sleeping Eye | | | Album Rating: 4
I will most definitely check this out. Great review.
Digging: Ulcerate - Everything is Fire | | |
Oh sweet, I forgot about this, going to get this when I get home!
Digging: Disparaged - The Wrath of God
| | | Album Rating: 4
slays for days.
Digging: The National - Boxer | | | Album Rating: 4
super goodies
Digging: Imperium Dekadenz - Dämmerung der Szenarien | | | Album Rating: 2.5
pat on the back, in the nut sack
Digging: port-royal - Dying in Time | | | Album Rating: 4
Great to see this reviewed. Ace review. I thought you had it rated at 3.5 though.
Digging: Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight | | |
I did.
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id like to get into these guys, any idea where i should start?
Digging: Amon Tobin - Permutation
| | | Album Rating: 4
Get Blood In Our Wells. That's probably their best.
| | | Album Rating: 5
Oh man, I can't wait to hear this. My exposure to these guys is limited but from what I've heard, I was really impressed. Review just made me want to purchase this even more.
Digging: Pig Destroyer - Prowler in the Yard | | | Album Rating: 3.5
The music is good but the production makes it hard to enjoy.
Digging: The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs | | |
any similarity to negura bunget?
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Actually I take back what I said, the production isn't bad. I just wish that the folk instruments were in the forefront instead of blending in with the guitars. I was expecting something that sounded like Orphaned Land gone black metal, and although this isn't what I ended up hearing, it's a good listen.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I like the bass in this one.
Digging: Jesu - Silver | | |
id like to get into these guys, any idea where i should start?
As Prometherion said, Blood in our Wells is probably the best, but this album I think would make an excellent start, it's very easy to get into.
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What does 'observation' mean here?
"2007’s Estrangement was yet another observation by the allusive Ukrainian group Drudkh"
Digging: Real Estate - Real Estate
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A musical observation. I sort of stole the idea from Opeth's liner notes, in a few of their records they say stuff like 'Still Life is the fourth observation by Opeth'.
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