The upcoming Drudkh release Thaw immerses you in a solitary world of introspection and grief.
This EP was recorded at the time of last year’s Shadow Play, and while the songs still follow the direction Drudkh has been moving in, they feel slightly more ambient in tone. There are still plenty of the elements you would expect from Drudkh and black metal in general: tremolo guitar lines, rough and harsh vocals, and pummeling drums. At the same time, there is more of an underlying synth or keyboard presence here, adding another layer that helps separate it from Shadow Play.
On the opening track “Memory,” the quick tremolo guitar playing combined with the slower melodic movement creates a feeling of dull anticipation, like an endless winter waiting for the first signs of spring, or the thaw itself. Track two, “Somewhere Sometime,” is built almost entirely on texture, with a rainy, slushy atmosphere and an ambient guitar layer. It works well as an interlude between the EP’s heavier songs, and gives the whole release room to breathe without breaking its mood.
Closing track “A Moment in Eternity” carries some of the same qualities as “Memory,” especially in the contrast between the fast guitar playing and the slower, more reflective melodic pull underneath it. The keyboard lines barely stand out at first because they are not meant to be the focus. Instead, they run through the EP like weather in the background, shaping the environment of Thaw without demanding attention. After what feels like a final instrumental section, the vocals unexpectedly return for a few last words before the music fades away, much like winter eventually does.
I will admit this EP brought up a few different feelings for me. When I first saw the single release for “Memory,” I was excited that more Drudkh was on the way. Then, after learning this was unreleased material from the previous recording session, I was a little disappointed that it was only an EP and not a full new release. But after listening to it a few times, and then going back to Shadow Play, the differences in mood became much clearer. I can understand why these songs were given their own separate release.
Sometimes it is better not to know every bit of context and just take the music in as it is. Either way, this is an encapsulating 20 minutes that puts you in a dark space no matter how bright the sun might be outside. It feels especially fitting for this March-April stretch of the year, when in colder countries it still does not fully feel like spring and the ground is covered in dirty melt and everything winter leaves behind. Black metal with seasonal depression and slush on its boots is still black metal.
Where Shadow Play feels more drone-like and aggressive, Thaw comes across as more ambient and reflective. That difference gives this EP its own identity rather than making it feel like a leftovers collection.
The artwork for Thaw is also quite close to that of Shadow Play. Done in a similar abstract landscape style, it reflects the atmosphere of the EP well and looks like the kind of design that would work just as well on a T-shirt or a vinyl sleeve as it does as cover art.
As the feedback fades, Thaw proves itself to be the perfect soundtrack for that in-between time of year when winter is dying off but spring has not fully arrived. It is subtle, immersive, and quietly powerful.