Info
- Band(s): Drevorod
- Label(s): Heidens Hart Records
- Release Format(s): CD
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: September 2, 2024
- Author(s): FelixS
Over the last twenty or so years, the Eastern regions of Europe and Russia have increasingly developed itself as a true hotbed for Pagan Black Metal. Maybe not so much for the quantity of the bands, but even more so for the musical quality that is on offer. With much revered bands like Drudkh, Temnozor and Nokturnal Mortum spawning more than excellent albums throughout their respective careers, there are also lesser known bands like Walknut, Stworz, Kroda and Ygg that are very much worth noting. While most of those bands do sound very different from each other, the great common denominator is an impeccable sense for melody and epic grandeur, resulting in an unmistakable heroic splendour.
To this same tradition we can also count Drevorod from Russia, an anonymous entity that presents their third release with ‘Anthems Of Soil And Stars’. This is not only the first one with an English title, it is also the album with the longest playing time. But ‘Anthems Of Soil And Stars’ is not about pushing their own boundaries in terms of language or the length of it, instead it is quite evident that the band was out to stretch their own musical scope, creativity and song writing skills.
Not that there are any wheels reinvented here, but the musicianship on ‘Anthems Of Soil And Stars’ is of quite a different level. Not only leaving their previously two outings far behind – which are both just solid albums on their own, but this is not all that far from the level of the aforementioned Nokturnal Mortum or Temnozor. While Temnozor has their emphasis for the most part of their Folky side and Nokturnal Mortum also increasingly shifted into these territories, Drevorod is still very much riff based. Yet, with the same splendid sense for melodicism and heroic sounding Folk. That is not only evidenced by the great melodies, the use of flutes and synths or guitar strumming, but definitely also for the wide variety of vocals used. From the more standard harsh screams to the epic chanting, that comes across especially well in the restrained ‘Vesper’ that consists mainly of just vocals and strumming.
The album might clock almost an hour, but due to the adventurous and dynamic character of the music it effortlessly takes you on its awe-inspiring ride. Right through the grandeur of the band’s homeland and the immeasurable beauty of its nature, an homage to the beauty and magic of soil and stars. A true and strong performance that, needless to say, comes highly recommended to those who enjoy all these aforementioned genre-defining bands or their pursuers.
Heidens Hart Records
- Country: Netherlands
- Style: Black Metal
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Youtube
