Best known as a meticulous blend of Black and Death Metal that caters to the specific niche of Enslaved, Blut Aus Nord, and Spectral Wound fans, Drouth has been around for some time presenting apocalyptic sounds with brutal precision. Recently, they returned, delivering ferocious aggressions with the release of their third full-length entitled The Teeth of Time–out now via Eternal Warfare Records. Conceptually, this album narrates existentially profound topics and contemplative discourses such as the idea of decay, fate, and entropy, as well as defiance against the corrosion of time. It is also an album that exists as a form of revolt against the idea of nihilism, as a means of creative rebellion coming from Drouth.
With the powerful features of many members from renowned names such as Ludicra, Ails, Isenordal, and The Keening on this album, the atmospheric nuances of this album becomes even more enhanced and sophisticated. The recording and mastering processes also involved the help of Billy Anderson (of Neurosis and Leviathan fame) and Justin Weis (of Agalloch and Hammers of Misfortune fame) – so fair to say that this album’s credentials have been somehow validated by the formidable creatives in the scene.
Consisting of five tracks under the length of 40 minutes, this album is the epitome of melodic aggression. It shows the way their sounds have evolved in a decade; distilled into one devastatingly intricate release. Aside from the thoughtfully crafted brutal lines of Black Metal and Death Metal, they also incorporated some precision-heavy avant-garde tendencies. The dual guitar work presented on this album results in a blend of tremolo rhythms, atonal dissonance, and immersive experience of periodical sonic storms, while the fusion of shared vocals result in the outcome of emotive wails, growls, and agony-laden shrieks combined into one entity. The drumming is dynamic and in-depth, with impeccably sharp precision as well. This album also features the appearance of viola uses on some of the tracks, which helps add mournful and hauntingly ghostlike textures to the already ferociously intense and existentially dark album.
This Portland-based act did a good job in envisaging how one should subvert against the banality of existence and the passages of time with the art of creating as an act of revolt; making it a profound, distortion-laden take against existential nihilism. This should be played on a loop all day.
Buy the album here:
https://drouth.bandcamp.com/album/the-teeth-of-time
9 / 10
RALKA SKJERSETH
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