Even though Drudkh’s autumnal Black Metal style has stayed relatively consistent over the years, I haven’t really cared for any of their albums past ‘Microcosmos’, and I felt that none of their releases had come close to the spirit of their classic ‘Autumn Aurora’. Well, that was, until they released ‘Shadow Play’ last year, suddenly shattering my expectations. 20+ years down the line, Drudkh created an album that almost matches their pinnacle effort, certainly a very impressive feat that most bands this age would fail to accomplish. And here in 2026, they did it again.
Although ‘Thaw’ is a short EP, all of the iconic aspects from the production and the composition (like those majestic swelling synths and breathtaking guitar leads) have returned, culminating in a fresh and instant classic in the Drudkh discography. Above all else, I find the songwriting on ‘Thaw’ and ‘Shadow Play’ much more captivating than it had been in the previous decade, with riffs that feel meaningful and poetically structured, telling a story through the music. If you ask me, it is an atmosphere most comparable to the feeling of walking through the autumn woods at sundown, but such as a faint distant memory. Even the artwork has returned to simple nostalgic and blurry oil-on-canvas paintings, depicting moments of Fall nature and its bleak beauty, a perfect imagery.
Although ‘Thaw’ doesn’t experiment far past what was done on ‘Shadow Play’, I don’t think it’s really necessary. Drudkh are the only ones doing this style (right, at least), and they might have learned from their 2010-2022 stretch that they don’t need to change anything to make enchanting atmospheres. Sure, you could just listen to ‘Autumn Aurora’ on repeat and you’d probably be fixed, but I think there’s a memorable charm in these newer albums that has laid dormant in Drudkh for a while; one that is well deserving of a spot thrown in the rotation. All that to say, I hope Drudkh continues doing what they do best, and making marks on their legacy for years to come, because they long ago established themselves as one of the all-time greats. Even their less interesting albums are still far superior to most atmospheric Black Metal!
