DRUDKH — Autumn Aurora (review)

Album · 2004 · Atmospheric Black Metal

4.5/5 · 2011-07-05
Conor Fynes

'Autumn Aurora' - Drudkh (9/10)

While fans may argue whether this, or the later 'Blood In Our Wells' is the bands defining achievement, Ukrainian black metal act Drudkh's sophomore album shows an incredible improvement in their craft, to the verge of being considered a masterpiece. Drawing from nature and an idyllic rural lifestyle, Drudkh's sound on 'Autumn Auora' is as vast as the landscapes that inspired it.

Although Drudkh's classic debut 'Forgotten Legends' showed quite a bit of promise for this ambitious black metal group, it would be obvious to any black metal veteran that their sound was heavily influenced and drawn from the original work of black metal legend Burzum from a decade before. While 'Autumn Aurora' does share a measure of sound with the debut, it does feel as if Drudkh has found a sound of their own with the second album. Here, they are moving away from the over-indulgent sense of repetition and drawn out form that deterred from the earlier work, although the musical ideas on 'Autumn Aurora' are still milked for all they're worth. The album opens with the short introductory piece 'Fading,' which plays a very simple melody on an acoustic instrument over the chirping of birds and other forest fauna. The motif of the album's opening would be heard again in the closer 'First Snow,' giving the album a very cohesive start-to-finish feel.

Leading out with the ambiance of birdsong, the first crashing chords of 'Summoning The Rain' can be heard, a very epic piece of black metal grandeur that incorporates the symphonic undertones of Bathory into the mix, giving a many wide sound, despite the rather low-fidelity of the recording. Underneath the fuzz of the guitars and the thunderous beating of the drums can be heard soft acoustic melodies and subtle details that might easily be overlooked, should the listener have his attention caught elsewhere.

The next three songs follow a similar sound to 'Summoning The Rain;' harmonious tremolo and beautifully melancholic atmosphere interspersed sparsely by some typical black metal vocals. It should be noted however, that - like the band's debut - Drudkh uses very little singing here, instead deciding to concentrate on the strength and atmosphere of their instruments. The power of Drudkh's instrumentation can be heard most fully on the closer 'The First Snow,' in which the motif of the opener is drawn out into a nine minute masterpiece of sound and aesthetic. While it could be criticized as being a little too repetitive (and I occasionally feel this way about the track), the fact remains that the sound and timbre of the arrangement is absolutely stunning and breathtaking.

Leading out with some added natural ambiance, I am truly left in amazement. While not perfect, Drudkh has crafted a masterpiece here, that truly deserves the attention of such. A decade after the height of the genre, out of black metal has emerged another gem.