Drudkh
Forgotten Legends


4.0
excellent

Review

by Wizard USER (85 Reviews)
February 6th, 2010 | 111 replies


Release Date: 2003 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Forgotten legends you will not be.

Since the dawn of second-wave black metal, two subjects have been the main focus throughout the ‘kvltcure’: anti-Christianity/ all things held sacred by religious rite and countrymen’s symbolic praise of all things environmental in their homelands. It’s an interesting contrast to say the least; black metal bands forming such vicious, hatred attacks on all things that are created by man to control the masses and placing those symbolic teachings on the natural world that is controlled by Mother Nature. With this in mind, I ask the question “Are black metals finest musicians a bunch of hippies at heart?”. Remove the peace and love bull*** and focus on the environmental aspect. Do you see what I’m driving at? Atmospheric black metal feels like it falls into this category, as if these bands were trying to capture their natural worlds on tape. The beginning of the second-wave black metallers really focused on this concept, but also tied in the whole ‘we-hate-going-to-church’ crutch that gave them justification to commit hate crimes and destroy historical property. It’s almost as if they were revolting against the modernization that Christianity brought to their homelands and in turn, a hope of finding meaning in discovering the love that their ancestors once had for nature and the prosperity and peace that it brought to them. I would like to address that a lot of this hatred stems from ignorance and a lack of knowledge and therefore, I find it extremely difficult to take a majority of these bands seriously. Thank God we have bands such as Drudkh who skim through the ridiculousness and come up with albums such as Forgotten Legends that feel more like a product of where they come from and less like a corpse-paint teenager who thinks grim and ‘kvlt’ are anti-religious movements and a wintery world walking hand in hand.

What makes Drudkh stand out from their contemporaries is that you can actually feel what is close to their heart and not what is close to their mind. They do not embrace moral stances and advocate specific values of how we should bring down a system and embrace our primitive roots, but rather bring us closer to the therapeutic qualities that the natural environment has been providing man since the dawn of time. One other thing about Forgotten Legends that should be taken into account is that it doesn’t necessarily focus on a particular season of the year, you know, icy fields with snow covered trees and mountains topping the background during the coldest night of the year. There is an abundant amount of warmth to be felt throughout the disc despite the black metal prerequisites that are always succumbing to the icy, tremolo-picked guitar lines, raspy vocals, and blast beats galore. It’s the length of the songs that completely allows the band to explore atmosphere to the max, whether it’s the last eight minutes of “False Dawn” that simply melt away into panoramic sunsets by the lake or the usage of thunderstorms clapping violently on a hot summer night that comprises the entire last song on the disc, you will simply be enthralled from start to finish on this wondrous display of nature in it’s most sensational and calming affect. Because this is a remastered version that only became available in 09 (good luck finding original copies cheap!), Forgotten Legends benefits greatly from the rich production that gives the bulk of this disc (only three songs) a very organic feel. The remastering benefits the atmosphere greatly as well, making it feel accessible and less like low-fi production that sounds as if someone was scratching fine china that so many black metal bands pride themselves on. Atmospheric black metal isn’t for the average music listener and it can be fairly hard to let yourself become entranced within the frame of a song, let alone trying to keep awake and not doze off, but Drudkh have somehow come up with a way to make everything seem memorable and less grating on your nerves.

By the time Forgotten Legends is all said and done, you will feel refreshed and ready for more. It’s as if the band is trying to find solitude through their brand of atmospheric black metal, warming the heart instead of fuelling the mind with anger and anarchy. Drudkh’s debut is what I would like to call the new standard bearer for black metal, Third Wave Black Metal if want to go that far. Instead of going down the same old beaten path of hatred and destruction, Forgotten Legends comes off as feeling in tune with their environmental surroundings and the answer to why we embrace therapeutic qualities in nature that predates religion within every single culture on earth. Ironically, Forgotten Legends will not go down in black metal history as such.



Recent reviews by this author
The Austerity Program Beyond CalculationGodflesh Pure
Sun Worship Elder GiantsLord Mantis Death Mask
Horseback Piedmont ApocryphaCarcass Surgical Steel
user ratings (407)
4
excellent

Comments:Add a Comment 
Wizard
February 6th 2010


20564 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I've been working on this one for a while, hope you all enjoy it.

Crysis
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


17640 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I thought about reviewing this a while ago but never got around to it. Good review, album rules, etc.

Relinquished
February 6th 2010


48973 Comments


Whoa... haha amazingly sick review bro.

Observer
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


9453 Comments


Wow, Wizard -- this is great! Excellent work on the opening paragraph as well.

Wizard
February 6th 2010


20564 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Thanks dudes, I really tried with this one and I feel it shows.



Crysis, I was actually thinking about you when I posted this hahahaha. I know we see eye-to-eye with atmospheric black metal ; ).

TheSpirit
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


30304 Comments


This review is the definition of win

Crysis
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


17640 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Indeed, Drudkh are one of my favorite black metal bands, pretty much everything they're done (minus Estrangement, that album was mediocre) is excellent.

Wizard
February 6th 2010


20564 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I have the Autumn Aurora and Anti-Urban remasters coming in the mail. I think they said that Seasons of Mist were re-releasing their entire discography slowly and not all at once. That would make sense for a band like this seeing as I'm discovering how all of their stuff is amazing and needs a bit of time to really sink in. I will still buy Enstrangement despite peoples disappointment in the album.



This review is the definition of win



I have a ways to go with wording things in a clear manner. I still think my wording is a little awkward compared to yours, Crysis, Observer, Balls etc. Thanks though.

Crysis
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


17640 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Everyone improves eventually, just a matter of time. But as for the re-releases, I saw Autumn Aurora in the store the other day and almost bought it but seeing how I'm OCD about getting originals I'll probably linger around ebay.

Wizard
February 6th 2010


20564 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Good luck finding any of their originals for under 100$ hahahaha. The thing I like about Drudkh's remasters so far are that they don't overdo it with elaborate packaging and EXTRA BONUS SONGS DUG FROM THE ARCHIEVES OH YIPPIE! It's all done out of respect to give the fans what they want and nothing more.

Crysis
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


17640 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I found an original of "Songs of Grief and Solitude" used in my record store for $16 hahahah



But yeah I shelled out close to $100 for my vinyl of Blood In Our Wells. More than I payed for my copy of Hvis Lyset Tar Oss.

Wizard
February 6th 2010


20564 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

You live in the metal capital of the world if you're finding Drudkh used in your record stores dude.

Crysis
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


17640 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Same store where I found that Converge vinyl and my Burzum vinyls and my Immortal albums and.....





But yeah small record stores=win for finding rare stuff.

TheSpirit
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


30304 Comments


I'm sad because the small record store near me just closed, although last year i was lucky enough to find an original pressing of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas at a record shop in Philly

Crysis
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


17640 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I'm about 5 hours from Boston (the nearest big city) so next time I'm there I want to look around for some hole-in-the-wall record store to see if I can find anything really interesting.

TheSpirit
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


30304 Comments


You'll probably find some pretty awesome stuff. Theres just so much to be discovered

Hyperion1001
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


27095 Comments


Wonderful album and good review.

I wish i had a small record store like that here. Closest we've got is an Fye. Although, i did find a used Solefald record there once, but that's about it.

I guess that's what i get for living in the south though...

Athom
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


17244 Comments


Roman Saenko is a beast. Everything I've heard that he's a part of (drudkh and hate forest) is excellent.

Wizard
February 6th 2010


20564 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

The only hole-in-the-wall music store in London, Ontario is a place where they sell is vintage 70 and 80s punk records and that's all, which is boring ftmp. Plus, the guy told me straight-up that he hates metal and that I should get a life LOL.



Although, i did find a used Solefald record there once, but that's about it.



If that band wasn't so bad, I would say nice find hahahaha. Thanks though.

Hyperion1001
Emeritus
February 6th 2010


27095 Comments


If that band wasn't so bad, I would say nice find hahahaha. Thanks though.

Yeah, it was the Black for Death album. I wasn't really impressed with it, except for the track with Garm was pretty good.



You have to be logged in to post a comment. Login | Create a Profile





STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US

Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Site Copyright 2005-2023 Sputnikmusic.com
All Album Reviews Displayed With Permission of Authors | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy