The second full-length album from Denver’s Green Druid promises broader influences compared to its predecessor, 2018’s Ashen Blood. It’s certainly true to an extent as the harsher vocals pop up more frequently and a couple of segments go-between post-Rock and Death Metal, but At The Maw Of Ruin (Earache Records) ultimately keeps to a steady Stoner Doom template. Comparisons could be made to their fellow Coloradans in Khemmis as the album utilizes a similar combination of monolithic riffs, drawn-out structures, and a desolate atmosphere.
But with that said, the most impactful developments can be felt in the musicians’ performances. The vocals in particular have stepped up nicely, sitting more prominently in the mix and bringing more confidence into a mix of bleakly effeminate cleans, harsh bellows, and even a bit of gravelly spoken word. Of course, the guitars remain the primary focus in the presentation and benefit greatly from a fuller tone that allows for deeper fuzz excursions and extended psychedelic trip-outs.
Six songs with a ten-minute average length totaling up to an hour runtime is certainly a lot to take in, but the songwriting ends up feeling more digestible this time around. The album’s second half is especially adept in this regard with ‘A Throne Abandoned’ and ‘Threads’ coming out to be its best tracks. The building structures work well in each track’s favor as the former puts in the most straightforward riff set while the latter closes things out with a series of ghostly wails set to a cavernous pace. ‘Desert Of Fury/Ocean Of Despair’ is also noteworthy for injecting a bit of speed among the other influences that encompass its thirteen-minute duration.
While At The Maw Of Ruin may not be a dramatic evolution for Green Druid, it ultimately makes for a strong step forward. The band’s continuing inclination to meander still makes me hope for tighter lengths in the future, but their performances have more conviction than before. The attempts at greater variety are also commendable, even if it may take some extra time for the tracks to really sink in. It’s a more cohesive experience and while there is still work left to be done, the band is going in the right direction.
Buy the album here: https://greendruid.bandcamp.com/
7 / 10
CHRIS LATTA