Drudkh – Estrangement
Supernal Music – FERLY049 – August 31, 2007
By Jason Jordan
Another year, another
Drudkh album, eh? Not that I’m complaining, but it has come to the point where these workaholic Ukrainians should consider resting on their laurels for a spell. With that out of the way,
Estrangement is interesting insofar as it’s more in tune with their early efforts
Forgotten Legends and
Autumn Aurora, rather than
The Swan Road,
Blood in Our Wells, and acoustic offshoot
Songs of Grief and Solitude. Though a worthwhile endeavor,
Estrangement isn’t the gem of their collection.
Except for the moving, four-minute
‘Only the Wind Remembers My Name,’ which brings the ceremony to a close, the others
‘Solitary Endless Path,’ ‘Skies at Our Feet,’ and
‘Where Horizons End’ each last upwards of 11 minutes. And if you’re keen on
Drudkh already, there’s honestly nothing here that hasn’t been explored previously. There are still numerous, lengthy instrumental sections, and, unfortunately, a few instances that are too loose for comfort – portions of the last two minutes of
‘Skies at Our Feet’ particularly. Though the guitar solos are underwhelming on the whole, the bass shines through like it never has before.
Drudkh remain atmospheric, emotive, and rousing, nevetheless.
Estrangement may seem like the logical conclusion to the legacy, but its impact essentially boils down to which
Drudkh era you prefer. Chances are, if you cling to
FL and
AA, this will be more rewarding to you than to those who swear by
TSR and
BiOW. There are anomalies of course, though I must admit I’d place myself in the latter camp. I greatly enjoyed the direction they were pursuing on
Blood in Our Wells, and feel they should continue to move with it, but that’s evidently not in the cards.
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