Though it doesn't quite live up to the precedent set by CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL v. JOHN FOGARTY, Colombo-Canadian Black/Thrash/Groovers ETERNAL DRAK was once disbanded and Colombian juggernaut GUERRA TOTAL was born in its place. A few years ago, some of the former members of ETERNAL DRAK decided to reform the band, leading to the dispute of whether the new material should truly be in the band's catalog.

Sanctioned or not, 2021's "Drak Metal" has proven to be one Groovy Blackened-Thrash affair that is just barely seasoned with enough Folk elements to make the album a very unique piece of music. Immediately from the opening title track, the listener may be inclined to think of this as a more intense INFECTIOUS GROOVES or, perhaps, a Blackened WHITE ZOMBIE.

Some very CAVALERA moments begin to occur starting on "Fear", and those moments are amplified on the next track, "El Rezo De Los Corderos", the first of a few scattered tracks sung entirely in Spanish. Some somewhat Folksy elements make their way in as well, which can be heard more clearly on "Parasite", which also employs some acoustic experimenting to great effect.

That's nothing compared to "All For Oil", which sees a lot more of the Folk side and happens to be the album's true great. The preceding song, "Siervo Del Bien Y Del Mal", is another great one, a classic Thrash track also sung all in Spanish. Serviceable tracks that stay on course but don't particularly stand out are "The Bombs Are Falling" and "Your Debt", a pair of decent fillers.

There are some stumbles towards the end. A bit of questionable VO work kicks in "My Bloody Moon", an otherwise okay track, and the same can be said of "Control". For the finale, "The Dragon Has Returned", there is some good cymbal-heavy build up being done, then, just as the song really starts to boil, it ends abruptly, and so does the album.

Normally, a dozen tracks at a bit under forty-four minutes would be borderline torturous, but this iteration of ETERNAL DRAK has put together a sound which does not overstay its welcome. In fact, the last track would surely have benefitted from at least another few bars, but if that's how they wanted to end "Drak Metal" then so be it.

Flaws aside, "Drak Metal" is an excellent album, a deserving addition to any metalhead's collection. With a few specific focuses here and there, the combination of Black and Thrash and Groove metals is done with near perfect balance, so there should be a wide appeal. Time will tell what more ETERNAL DRAK can do, and whether they'll be using the same name. If they can keep it together, the sky's the limit.