Band:	Drudkh
Album:	Кров У Наших Криницях (Blood In Our Wells)
Style:	Atmospheric black metal, Pagan black metal
Release date:	March 2006

01. Nav'
02. Furrows Of Gods
03. When The Flame Turns To Ashes
04. Solitude
05. Eternity
06. Ukrainian Insurgent Army

....And then there was Drudkh. A band that has recieved huge recognition the latest years because of their one incredible release after another. Consisting of members from bands such as Astrofaes and Hate Forest, Blood In Our Wells is the fourth creation from this brilliant band hailing from Ukraine and I am here to do nothing less than praise it. Why? Viddy well, little brothers. Viddy well... the reasons are below...

Drudkh plays a unique form of black metal that is slightly comparable to the form of black metal that early Alcest or early Agalloch put out, in that it combines the raw elements of black metal with beautiful melodies of nature and folklore; the result is nothing short of brilliant. The five songs (actually six - the first being an intro) provided on this release are all very well written and combine beautiful riffing with repetitive yet epic drumming and a few solos. The few solos you actually find on this release are all very well written, fit perfectly with the atmosphere, and help the emotions get brought to the listener.

There is also a small amount of bass present on this album but due to the production the bass lines only seem audible occasionally. This, however, isn't a big problem since Drukdh's music does very well without any major focus on bass. The vocal work on this release is basically the same as previous releases of Drudkh: great harsh growls which have a very longing sound to them. The longing vocals of Drukdh really help build the atmosphere that surround this album, and while listening to this album you are sure to feel the spirit of ancient Ukraine sing in your heart.

The riffing mentioned above is not only beautiful but also very well written and provides your ear with a journey through sorrow, pride, longing and to a lesser extent, even joy. The riffing blends perfectly together with the epic drumming and longing vocals but Drudkh wasn't satisfied with just this: they filtered the music through a warm yet raw production that really benefits the album and heightens the listening experience from "great" to "audio orgasm."

There is no actual down side to this album, excluding the fact that people that did not enjoy previous Drudkh releases will absolutely not enjoy this release either: it carries the spirit of Drudkh to 100% but adds a more folky touch to it since previous releases, which will indeed be enjoyed by old Drudkh fans.

To conclude this album is simple: fans of Drukdh, buy it, it's their best release since Autumn Aurora. For those that just so happen to discover Drudkh thanks to this review, don't hesitate to check them out if you are a fan black metal in general. This album is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!