Whilst the Ukraine might not exactly be the first country to spring to mind when talking about Black Metal, it is nevertheless home to some high calibre bands, including the mysterious DRUDKH. With neither live shows nor interviews to their name, DRUDKH have always remained enrobed in shadows, rather letting their music speak for itself. This coupled with their Slavonic take on Norwegian Black Metal has garnered the band a sound fan-base, as well as a unique niche in the Black Metal world. Released at the beginning of March, their new album "They Often See Dreams About the Spring" seems almost prophetic of the current mood in Europe, which is currently knee-deep in the midst of an extended winter. Dry jokes aside, "They Often See Dreams About the Spring" sees DRUDKH move even further away from their original sound, although given that this is their eleventh full-length album, this change in musical direction is hardly surprising. Featuring a more atmosphere-laden sound, DRUDKH use this new opus to explore the more melodic side of their music.

Featuring five songs which span almost three-quarters of an hour, "They Often See Dreams About the Spring" is strongly influenced by contemporary Ukrainian poetry. "Nakryta Neba Burym Dakhom..." starts off the album, and features an uplifting melody underpinned by typical Black Metal riffing, a vortex of drumbeats, and a chunky bass-line, which later give way to a rolling melody of simplistic beauty. Although some of the progressions between different sections of the song feel a bit forced sometimes, it is nevertheless a solid start to the album. "U Dakhiv Irzhavim Kolossyu..." sees the album take a more melancholic twist, albeit still incorporating repetitive melodies to build up the atmosphere. This song speaks of desolation, coldness, and loss, slowly swelling into a morass of resentment, hate, and resilience. At the apex of the album we find "Vechirniy Smerk Okutuye Kimnaty..." which again has a completely different feel to it. Fighting to break free from the desolation of the previous song, this sees some of the hopefulness of the opening track seeping back into the album entwining with feelings of power and resistance. In the penultimate spot is "Za Zoreyu Scho Striloyu Syaye...", which returns to the positivity of the first song, once again slowly and steadily building up the atmosphere of the song to a final climax. Finally, "Bilyavyi Den' Vtomyvsya I prytykh..." concludes the album on a victorious note, unleashing a song fuelled by an indomitable fury and will. Taken together, these five songs weave together a story, incorporating emotions and sections from previous songs into a cohesive whole.

From my subjective standpoint, this album seems to tell a story of a phoenix rising up from the ashes, taking us on a sonic journey of emotions make audible. DRUDKH don't exactly reinvent the Black Metal wheel with "They Often See Dreams About the Spring", but it nevertheless provides a riveting listen for the most part, and especially for fans of the more melodically-driven Black Metal.