Drudkh- Eastern Frontier In Flames (2014)

Drudkh- Eastern Frontier In Flames (2014)

The situation in Ukraine is volatile as hell, the people wants to throw down the pro-Russian government and embrace the European Union and Occident, Putin strong hands on the country are firm, and if we consider that he is one of the most powerful men on Earth, who knows if opposition leader and ex boxing champion Vitali Klitschko and his fellow dissidents are able to knock down the government defenses and become a fully-fledged European country, they have already shaken the governments base and achieved the division of the prime minister, but will they be able to reach the top of pyramid?

Ukraine is a country rich in natural resources with fertile grounds and underground gas deposits, obviously igniting the ambition both form Europe and Russia, but if Ukraine suffered deeply under the soviet rule, and the people are convinced now that they need to brake with their past and embrace the future, what’s wrong with that?     

Drudkh comes from Ukraine, and I would consider unfair to call them just another black metal band, because definitely they ARE something else, a band proud of their national heritage, and folksy roots, which they are not shy of showing, enriching the black metal genre and giving the music a big shiny epic glimmer that’s completely remarkable.

Eastern Frontier In Flames is not exactly a record of new music, is more of a compilation of lesser known themes that reflects the quality of the band, given the fact that the tunes sounds as good as any other of their previous effort, and the title may be a reflection of today situation, one that definitely is setting flames to Russia ambition of recreating part of the lost soviet empire.

The band guitars roar like hungry wolves, but they avoid falling into your typical tremolo crazed BM, because they poses a unique quality that brings out the traditional folk music of Ukraine, and if this wasn’t enough, Drudkh goes as far as integrating odd regional instruments to their already rich mix, making tunes like opener Fallen Into Oblivion, shine and reverberate in a particular manner all of their own, they avoid fast blast beats and prefer to concentrate on more atmospheric doings, which suits perfectly to their transcendental approach to the genre, they get into a more dynamic zone with Ashes with a more fasted paced beat and guttural vocals that make up a great and furious song, without falling into the typical clichés of BM, Tam Gdzie Gasnie Dzien…an amazing brutal theme, vocals growl in a rabid way, while guitars create a monstrous void while atmospheric keyboards lift the whole song to the skies, they reach quieter moments and deliver some wind instrumentation in order affirms their roots, creating this way an amazing eastern Europe type of BM, one that stands in great way in front of Scandinavian BM and even expands the epic parameters of the later.

Indianska Phsen Hrzuy starts in a really weird manner, with cosmic synths and a dynamic bass, then slowly integrating cascading guitars and hard drumming, thus creating a type of martial song, a song that brings to mind war and its atrocities, and perhaps creating a perplexing view of today’s turmoil in Ukraine streets, vibrant guitars welcome us on W Kraine Drzew, another powerful example of what these guys do better, with charming inventive drumming, atmospheric keyboards and the intermittent usage of fast paced parts, the band achieve in this manner an emotive approach that suits perfectly with the volatile scenery in their home land.

Ten, Ktera Se Vyhelba Svetlu shines with its innovative and creative drum arrangements, again evoking martial motives, war, and armies, perhaps recalling hard times in their past, under the soviet boot, then everything gets compact and another furious attack comes to life, showing the bands ambitious approach to BM.

Recidivus could be the most typical BM tune in the compilation, blast beats become prominent here and the band attacks drums and guitars in a merciless way, leaving most of their contemporary eastern BM comrades biting the dust, showing them how to dominate a Scandinavian phenomena and making it something all of their own, perhaps the Mighty Count Varg should think of moving to Ukraine to recharge his baterries, instead of losing his head in France.