DRUDKH REVIEW
DRUDKH - ВІдлига (THAW)
Is it not fascinating how one whose tongue may be as heavy as lead can express that which dwells within through parchment, paper, and pen? We often take for granted the ability of words to carry our own thoughts within them and, whatever it is that originates in the abode of the mind, render it into physical form. Our tongues may become mute, but the art of communicating in an honest manner, be it through a few words or an epic tale, can reach our emotions in such a profound way, elevating them to the point where such a sensation is felt as though we become the very emotion itself.
“Thaw” by Drudkh is an EP that inhabits the emotions that a soul searches for, the emotions that lead one to the pastures of tranquility. Containing three songs, the EP can be interpreted as a supplement to the last album, “Shadow Play.” One may look upon it as the remainder of an album that was left out, but instead, it showcases the album in a more intimate manner, where the three songs, though short in duration, form their own entity. Flowing with the same resonance as the past albums of Drudkh, what sets “Thaw” apart is that it allows the consciousness to delineate every element, to view each one from a different vantage point.
A lulling sensation overcomes the strings, where they resonate with a gentle cadence, not entirely raw, but not quite polished, crude yet tangible. For it is like taking the hands and tracing the lenticels of tree bark, examining but also feeling its contours, its coarse texture against the soft tips of the fingers. By extension, the production here bestows both a sense of palpability and an abrasive texture, where the metallic sound becomes more heightened at different stages. Take, for instance, “Memory,” where the main riff exudes a more robust texture, its steel-like serration more evident, yet in the same breath, behind it, the riff is shaded by a more delicate timbre from the strings. Both currents flow differently, yet it is their contrast that grants a mesmerizing quality to the track and the EP.
Therein exists an intimate feeling within the guitar playing, naught because of the slow-paced structure, but because each chord and the notes it fosters conjure the image of the artist taking refuge within the confines of their quarters, where the only form of communication is the instrument beside them. So, like the poet whose quill becomes another limb, so too do the strings feel like an extension of the artist’s soul. The track “A Moment in Eternity” demonstrates this, where the structure is almost repetitive, but not to be interpreted as a negative. Rather, this motion becomes like a mantra, cycling within itself, like truth upon a loosened tongue flowing as poetry, where the mind and mouth cannot keep in sync. The EP presenting itself with a shorter runtime also adds to the guitars feeling rather personal, for it allows one to absorb every facet, to hear every scraping of the strings as their ringing leaves an afterimage upon the soul.
A mediator is discovered, where the drumming acts as the firmament between the guitars and the keys, separating the steel-like aura of the strings from the whispery exhalation of the keys. The percussion carries a simple structure, accentuating the guitars’ melodies with each beat, be it a single beat, as heard at intervals throughout “Memory,” where that single beat adds a sense of density to the song, but also grounds it, creating the organic matter into which the guitars sow their notes.
The production, like that of the strings, also gives unto the drumming a natural feeling, as though it is the breath that is pushed downwards into the stomach and upwards at a careful pace and rhythm. Every beat possesses a clear yet blunt sound. The cymbals also add to the sauntering pace of the drums, every crash giving a sense of volatility, where their sound employs a minuscule shatter that casts a glow upon the EP, as heard on “A Moment in Eternity.”
Though the guitars and drums exist within the same atmosphere, reverberating at different frequencies, there are moments where both compositions writhe around each other in unison, their energies converging into one movement, such as when the guitars move in an upward riffing pattern, accompanied by the double kicks. For those brief moments, they break up the crawling movement of the EP with a slight frenetic burst.The vocals of Drudkh have always possessed the timbre of a poet. However, the poet here becomes the very soil that both blossoms into a forest that shades the weary, while at the same time becoming the soil that drinks the spilled blood of those whose boots rent its earth in war-torn rage. Here, the same sensation is carried forward, where the vocals feel like a byproduct of their landscape, for every guitar riff that crawls, every drumbeat that drags, and the keys that dissolve into the air become offerings through which the vocals take presence.
The production here bestows upon the vocal qualities that feel elemental, as though they permeate in and out of the instruments, like a wind through the brambles, in turn changing the sound of their environment. “Memory” demonstrates this, where the vocals sound like a cry that has aged, hardened by time and emotion. Their delivery, untempered and possessing a granular cadence, soars and envelops the sound, clinging to the instrumental resonance, in turn diffusing into its essence and changing its structure.
“Thaw” can be looked upon as the soul seeking solace within that of its own creation, constructing its solitude so that art may nestle within its hearth. For every chord, every note transmuted into sound, becomes an ode to that which dwells within, taking physical form when the tongue dissolves like wax amidst the flame.
9/10
