DROUGHT is a surprisingly common name for Metal bands. At the time of this writing there are three bands using the moniker from Europe including England, Ireland, and Italy. There was also one from the US, but they have since split. More odd is the fact that of these four, three are Black Metal... ish. The one we'll focus on today is from Italy. They produce what's characterized as Tantric Black Metal and are a bit secretive about their band members-probably something to do with avoiding ego identity to ensure the music and spiritual essence thereof is paramount. The last we heard from them was back in 2016 with their debut EP, "Rudra Bhakti." On May 15, 2020 they released their first full-length album, "Trimutri."

The word "trimutri" is Sanskrit for "three forms," referring to the triad of supreme Hindu gods, namely Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The album, however, focuses less on specific gods and more on spiritual progression across three spiritual stages: the three phases of spiritual turmoil, the three phases of Pranayama (inhalation, retention, exhalation), and the three phases of evolution (awareness, transformation, elevation). In promotional material the band notes the album "represents the tantric chemistry of our creative energies and the ones kept within the sea, the mountains and the woods which surround us, channeled into music to celebrate the eternal life hidden in this world and in the ones behind it." So that.

The album is fairly well-produced for a Black Metal album, and the musicianship is impressive... but I'll pause here. Similar to the band member issue, the point of the album isn't to produce a blistering Metal assault or to stun listeners into submission with their musical prowess, but rather to provide a spiritual pathway, a.k.a. the things mentioned in the previous paragraph. Now, having listened to the album about six times I have to admit I've failed to experience any transcendence - no levitating (meditative or demonic), no enlightenment, no weight loss, no cravings for curry - but I can report that I did enjoy the album.

The album comprises nine tracks which flow in three distinct movements. This may be down to my vulgar musical palate, but I have to say the first three and the last three songs are musically very similar. I mean they are clearly six different songs, but their styling is of the same motif. The second set of three, however, is clearly distinctive and, in fact, make up my favorite tracks ("Mystical Solar Eruption," "Om Tridevaya Namah," "Trascending The Flesh"). I should also throw in "Tantric Supremacy," the closing track, as a standout.

The guitar work (bass, lead, rhythm) follow typical Black Metal tropes with distorted riffs accented with discordant sharps and flats. These are periodically broken up with acoustic flourishes and synth interludes. The drum work can also be distinguished stylistically as Black Metal - muted blast beats, odd time signatures, etc. Suspiciously, the vocals are all harsh and screechy. I say "suspiciously" because I was expecting some variation in alignment with the musical progressions but instead the vocals are always the same as if to say in all stages of Hindu spiritualism there is some guy yelling at you in evil gutturals. Again, I have my suspicions.

Somewhere in the mix of Black Metal fans and Hindu spiritualists, there is sweet spot of Black Metal Hindu spiritualists whose heads will explode, in a good way, when they hear this album. For the rest of us it is an intriguing experience, but no helmets needed.