Well, sit tight and bare with me, as this is my first ‘purely black metal’ review. For me this is something fairly different
 as black metal I don’t enjoy at an ‘ideals’ level – that is, I’m not looking for music that shares the same values or has 
a similar life perspective.

So which is the lucky album? Drudkh – The Swan Road. Firstly let me say, if you haven’t read Decadent’s review of their 
previous album ‘Autumn Aurora’ do so now, or forever hold your peace. It will give you a good idea as to the background of 
Drudkh, and possibly further elaborate the emotions and tones I am going to discuss.

Coming from the last album (which I adored) I expected a lot from The Swan Road. The last album was intimate, naturalistic 
black metal which used the flare of richly melodic riffs and brighter tones than one normally expects on a black metal album.
 In a similar vein, the latest release carries this tradition on. Subtle rhythmic patterns accentuated by circulating 
repetitive riffs and warm/rich melodies playing through the foggy distortion. This is what Drudkh do best, contrasting sad, 
abandoned, hollow themes with tones better associated with happiness and hope.

For me the standout track is ‘Fate’. Although it is probably the least ‘Autumn Aurora / Forgotten Legends’ like song, it is 
captivating and unique in delivery. Guitars mimic each other creating an entrancing effect with slow tempo drumbeats, short 
passages of acoustic guitars and painful crying howls. It is epic, crushing and teases us with vibrant tinges of melody 
amongst an otherwise anguished experience.

The biggest difference on this album is the very much more deliberate composition and sound mix:

The vocals are much clearer (although still remaining hoarse and growled) and more prominent. Although I have been unable to
locate any Drudkh lyrics so far, I have read the vocals are now in Slovenian so my guess would be the band is trying to draw 
more focus upon the Slavonic culture.

The production has also been altered slightly. Whereas on the previous albums, a raw’ish production was used – somewhat 
peaceful in its distortion as it flattened the overall sound to the album, the production on this third release is a little 
stronger and a little more misty or ‘fuzzed’.

I mentioned above, that the subtle fashion in which the music is played, is one of the key highlights of Drudkh albums. 
This is where the Drudkh listeners will be separated, in my opinion. Whilst structurally at a very foundation level, this 
album maintains the same style as the prior releases, it is not as subtle and not as soothing. Instead it is more 
intentional and ‘in your face’ which to me makes the album a little less rewarding. Sitting back, lights out, relaxed, you 
aren’t whisked through delicate images of nature in its most untainted forms, rather Drudkh make you experience Slavonic 
culture, with a more blatantly influenced mix.

There is a strange folk track on the album ‘Song of Sich Destruction’. It sits incongruous of the rest of the tracks. Clean 
vocals, with unusual folk instruments, that sounds both archaic and cacophonic. Perhaps there is more to this track than I 
understand, but to me, whatever Drudkh tried to do, failed at doing.

Anyway, overall, I recommend this album as an entry-level Drudkh release. It is enjoyable, different and maintains the true 
Drudkh sound of ambience in a simplistic natural form. The only let down being, the more intrusive feel this album projects 
in comparison to Autumn Aurora and Forgotten Legends.