Кров у наших криницях (BLOOD IN OUR WELLS)

If Autumn Aurora was where Drudkh developed their signature sound, Blood in Our Wells is the point at which they progged the hell out. Of the five actual songs on this album, four top the nine-minute mark with ease. All of them are comprised of multiple interlocking sections and most of them feature lengthy instrumental passages with extensive guitar solos (a relative rarity in black metal, although Drudkh had used them on their earlier albums as well). The album has a more expansive, "cinematic" scope than anything they'd recorded before, and the arrangements and songwriting rise to the challenge such material demands. Some of the traditional hallmarks of black metal are toned down on this release, as well; you won't hear any blast beats here, and the use of tremolo picking is less than one might expect. (The vocals are still the expected roar, however, but rest assured, they're quite effective).

It's difficult to single out highlights with a work like this; the entire thing flows so well that it demands to be listened to in one sitting. "When the Flame Turns to Ashes" and "Eternity" may be my personal favourites, but all the material is strong.

One caveat must be mentioned with the album: the production. For unknown reasons, frequencies above 16 kHz are cut off from all CD issues of the album. (The most likely explanation is that the band lost the .wav versions of their recordings and didn't want to re-record them, but as Drudkh never give interviews and rarely interact with the public, we'll probably never know what the cause was for sure). This problem is lessened on the vinyl edition, due to the harmonic resonance effects implicit with that format. Thus, this is one album that sounds way better on vinyl (despite the fact that the second LP side runs for twenty-eight minutes). It's worth tracking down a vinyl copy of this album if at all possible, or, failing that, a vinyl rip.

Many listeners have cited this as Drudkh's finest release, and while there are times I'd be inclined to give the nod to Autumn Aurora, there are times where I'd rank this above it, too. In any case, anyone interested in progressive black metal needs to hear this.