DRUDKH Premiere New Album “Shadow Play”

Drudkh are a leading light for atmospheric and pagan black metal. The Ukrainian band’s new thirteenth album was released yesterday, March 21, and you can hear all six visceral songs by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.

Order the album at https://orcd.co/drudkhshadowplay

For more than two decades, Drudkh have remained an enigmatic yet deeply influential force in black metal. The band’s unique ability to fuse atmospheric soundscapes with historical and poetic narratives has made them one of the most revered names in underground metal.

Shadow Play is a visceral meditation on life’s contrasts, from light to shadows, storms in between silences, memory and oblivion, through an eternal longing to reconnect with one’s origins. The melancholic grandeur of “The Exile”, the fleeting beauty of “The Eve” and the devastating “The Thirst” all capture a world that’s suspended between past and present.

Tracklist:
1. Scattering the Ashes (7:23)
2. April (11:11)
3. The Exile (10:12) [LISTEN]
4. Fallen Blossom (6:50)
5. The Eve (7:08) [WATCH]
6. The Thirst (12:21)
Full runtime: 55:05

Born from the whispering winds and the brooding landscapes of Ukraine, a realm steeped in history and draped in the enigma of folklore, emerges Drudkh – a beacon of profound expression in the vast expanse of black metal. In their essence, Drudkh are the custodians of a narrative, combining atmospheric and pagan influences into a mesmerizing portrayal of their homeland’s soul. Their journey is one of introspection, seeking to create music that evoke a profound emotional resonance that stirs the depths of the human experience.

With the unfolding of Shadow Play, their latest album, Drudkh invites the listener into a realm where the boundaries between the corporeal and the ethereal blur. This album emerges as an ode to the contrasting forces that shape existence: light against shadow, silence against storm, ephemeral beauty against the decay of oblivion. A story untold, exploring themes of exile, the cycle of life and death, and the perpetual yearning for a return to origins—both personal and collective.

Through Shadow Play, Drudkh transcends the conventional expectations of music, engaging in a dialogue that is both personal and universal. They challenge us to confront our own shadows, to find beauty in desolation, and to appreciate the intricate dance of light and darkness that defines our existence. This album is another chapter in Drudkh’s storied discography – it represents an invigorated exploration into the myriad facets of human emotion, the relentless pursuit of truth, and the undying passion for unearthing the hidden threads that connect us to the past.

Drudkh continues to illuminate the path for those who dare to wander, to question, and to dream.

Recording Credits:
Created and recorded in the spring of 2024.
Mixed and mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Mastering in the summer of 2024.