ALBUM REVIEW: Druid Lord – Relics Of The Dead

Death-Doom titans DRUID LORD are back with their new full length album, set for release via Hells Headbangers on January 21st. As a big fan of their previous “Grotesque Offerings” (read my review here), I hope it lives up to the high standard they set…

Beginning with classic horror soundscapes that signal the zombification ahead but without wasting much time, the scene is set for the bludgeoning riffs, drums and shreds that launch us into a cascade of morbid Metal mayhem. The eeriness of the leads with the ferocious rhythm section soon morphs into stomping rhythmic Death Metal that could easily have been torn from the 90s with its uniquely cutting production that presents lurking and creepy music gloriously. Malformed vocals add rasping macabre lyrics to the crushing onslaught of the instrumental extremity, clearly the work of seasoned musicians who work together brilliantly (as those familiar with their wonderful back-catalogue will know), there is a simplicity that is still evocative and exciting here. As dormancy drifts into awakening horror, the opening moments of “Relics From The Dead” give us a haunting opening scene that will hopefully be followed with as much gracious heaviness.

Crawling further into the mausoleum of antiquities, the old Death Metal flame burns bright with a superbly textured layering of Doom Metal that will certainly appeal to fans of brutality and gloom alike, wherein a spectral atmosphere is equally harsh and intense. Credited to a hard-hitting drum performance, the precise cymbal work and pounding percussion gives a strong backbone to the splendour of truly chilling riffs, altogether crafted a soundtrack of epic proportions for the sepulchral growls to narrate upon. With a generally slower tempo, it would be easy to think that there is a lack of those key Death Metal elements but shredding guitars, blastbeats and actually mean sounding riffs are plentiful alongside those luxuriously gruesome slower sections. Vocally, there are some more thrashy snarling bits that add some urgency alongside the more obvious gutturals, accentuating the panic in certain moments of the journey, without overshadowing those monolithic sections of tension. Clearly the songwriting has not only carried on from their previous works, but even matured.

Cleverly used cleaner sections add ambience to the terrifying tale, which is the kind of nuance that ties the album together beautifully while keeping the discomforting feeling present. The solos add an equally soulful yet inarguably metallic sense of melody, while the blundering, even primal, riffing can so often be heard as some disfigured entity of malice. This hideous-meets-gorgeous contrast is comparable to a 70s horror movie that is shot to best aesthetically represent the grotesqueries it contains. A statement equally applicable to the classic production approach and wickedly macabre artwork too. Druid Lord haven’t missed a detail, nor have they defaced their legacy. While originality is somewhat limited, though definitely present, this music is of course more interested in keeping the old ways alive and creating something really killer, regardless of whether they reinvent the wheel or not. I’d take some punishingly heavy, gloomy Death Metal over pretentious showmanship any day, if that doesn’t feel relatable, then you might be on the wrong website.

This is definitely a worthy addition to their discography, a work of magnificent Death Metal artistry that is to be commended. Diverse and fearsome execution of truly excellent songs that take you into the catacombs of Druid Lord’s signature brand of horror where you can witness your own doomed fate be sealed. Is it better than “Grotesque Offerings”? No. Is it worse? Also no. This is a malignant, mangled new chapter that does exactly what it needs to in such a gratifying and gripping manner, just as I had hoped.