Drudkh - Eternal Turn Of The Wheel

When a friend showed me Drudkh's 'Microcosmos' album leak in 2009 and asked me what I thought, I said I liked it but thought it sounded just like everything else they have done (besides the acoustic 'Songs Of Grief And Solitude'). My friend understood my thoughts but asked the question 'Is that a bad thing though?'. No it isn't really. Think of all the bands we are fans of who have released the same thing over and over again over eight albums. Sometimes playing it safe is the way to go.

That is not to say Drudkh has been doing that completely. I mean, 'Handful Of Stars' did have a bit of a 'shoegaze' vibe to it which made things a little more interesting. Their latest album, 'Eternal Turn Of The Wheel' continues that trend a bit too, but I feel that is more due to the atmosphere or tone than anything else. There are other elements in this album that I am picking up and liking.

I found earlier Drudkh albums to have a much thicker and heavier tone in the riffs. What I find with 'ETofW' is a much colder tone. It feels like this is more suited to listening to at night than in the day (the cricket noises in 'When Gods Leave Their Emerald Halls (August)' helps paint that mood). Even if you pan over their albums from start to finish, I feel like the first ones are suited to the day and the later ones suited to the night.

I like the way the layered riffs speed through in the songs. They feel like they would be in perfect time with a frosty wind rushing through a forest on a cold winters night. And for all the Burzum comparisons you read about bands these days, this is one of the very few albums where I could actually compare this to Burzum. A lot of this reminds me of 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss', except the synths are just a little more subtle on 'ETofW'.

Where that tends to be the method of play throughout the album, 'Night Woven Of Snow, Winds and Grey-Haired Stars (December)' teases a different approach at the start with a slower tempo with a plodding bass leading the way, but this is short lived when the windy riffs return before slowing and softening down at the end when they let the winds lead away. More of this on the album would have made the album even better.

Everything else is what I expect from Drudkh. I have always liked the throatier raw vocals and that is the same here. They also know how to not over do it with time length too which like the rest of their albums, makes for a fitting listen.

I just wonder though why they haven't tried to broaden their horizons just a little bit more. They have thrown a few interesting 'twists' over their albums ('Blood In Our Wells' especially) to show that they would definitely make it work whilst still remaining true to their sound. After nine albums though, I don't think that will be happening any time soon.

Ikil