Wednesday 9 September 2020

ALBUM REVIEW: Drouth, “Excerpts From a Dread Liturgy”

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 31/07/2020
Label: Translation Loss Records


“Excerpts From a Dread Liturgy” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). A Drowning in Sunlight
2). An Apiarist
3). O Time Thy Pyramids – An Unfinished Nigthmare
4). A Repulsive Act Shrouded in Flesh
5). A Crown of Asphodels

The Review:

Portland's Drouth offer up five tracks of black metal on this sharp and dark release. As noted in previous reviews, I'm no afficianado of the black metal genre and my listening tends to be a little restricted to the classics of 25+ years ago or to a couple of modern bands (Winterfylleth in particular).

However, I know a band I like when I hear it and I very much like this. Over the course of five tracks and around forty minutes, Drouth delivery convincing blasts, darkness and atmosphere. Have a listen to the opener “A Drowning in Sunlight” and see if you agree. For me, this is straight ahead black metal with a few individualistic ingredients.

The time changes are solid, the riffs are melodic in places and vicious in others, vocally the band are almost similar to At The Gates, as opposed to other many black metal vocalists, while the sound is not pro-toolsed beyond reason and stands as a coherent capturing of the band's raw sound.

As the album progresses, it's notably extreme and melodic by turn (like much black metal, to my ears) and the brutality of “An Apiarist” stands counterpoint to the cloying darkness of “O Time Thy Pyramids…” and so on.

By the time the album finishes with the excellent “A Crown of Asphodels”, any listener will have made up their mind about the band and the record. For me, this is good black metal done well- it stands apart from much of the genre due to the professional manner of delivery and utterly committed performances of the band members. If you are looking for some black metal, this will do it for you.


“Excerpts From a Dread Liturgy” is available HERE




Band info: bandcamp || facebook