Пісні скорботи і самітності (SONGS OF GRIEF AND SOLITUDE)

Many bands feel the need to make an album completely different from the rest of their discography; the result is or a massive experiment, or, more frequently and in this case,an acoustic, or at least non electric, work. Not many liked this album, but I truly think this is one of their best chapters. It is great knowing that even a band like Drudkh was able to put all their metal and rock influences away for just one album and release something like this.

"Songs of Grief and Solitude" features only a lonely, melancholic acoustic guitar, that creates an atmosphere that has never been evoked by the band so far. The music comes out with such grimness, that it always touches me. The nostalgia is very felt, from start to finish, and some times it's so strong it enters you. I haven't yet mentioned that this is an instrumental album, so if you're looking for even just a bit of rock, metal, prog or whatever, there is no way you can find it; "Songs of Grief and Solitude" is one of the most sincere and pure folk albums I've ever heard.

However, there are some negative aspects; as simple as that, not all the songs are as evocative and haunting as they ought to be. The melodies sometimes are a little predictable (something I noticed also happened with Drudkh's previous album, "Blood In Our Wells"). also, I wasn't too fond of the fact that many parts were rearrangements of previously written songs that were in other Drudkh albums, whether it's just a riff or the entire song. Thank god the album is short, and here I claim that the length of an album can be very important for the audience, otherwise if it went over 50 minutes or so it would have been boring. But it in not even 35 minuets the album enfolds all of it's music.

Definitely not to miss the song "Archaic Dance", even though it borrows too much from the song "Glare of 1768" from their album "The Swan Road"; also, "The Milky Way" had such a blue feeling to it that it almost made me cry. "The Cranes Will Never Return Here" has a very simple but gloomy melody, very direct thus very powerful and touching.

This album, even though having it's defects, is a terrific album, thrilling and chilling like Drudkh has never been before.