Artist: Drudkh
Country: Ukraine
Label: Season of Mist Underground Activists
Formats: 12” EP / CD EP
Year: 2026
With thirteen full-lengths albums under their belts and an immensely recognizable sound, Drudkh has no doubt become of the most iconic Black Metal bands from Ukraine. Though some might favor their earlier material, it’s hard to deny their consistent formula and continued dedication to bring quality music throughout their career. That discography was recently expanded with the EP ‘Thaw’, a 20-minute recording that was released earlier in 2026.
‘Thaw’ was conceived during the same period as the writing for the most recent album, 2025’s ‘Shadow Play’, and is meant as a continuation of that record. And indeed, the unmistaken stamp of Drudkh is written all over this EP. However, the overall pace is a little bit lower than on that album. Also, since there are just three songs that comprise this EP, the individual character of the tracks stands out a little bit more. For certain, the deep melancholy of opener ‘Memory’ is striking, greatly enhanced by using keyboards and violins (or other type of strings). It is certainly one of the more sorrowful tracks that the bands has recorded and quite frankly, one of the most beautiful songs they have done in a long time as well. Slower and more atmospheric, it still sounds as typically Drudkh, which is certainly impressive. ‘Somewhere, Sometime’ is a fully instrumental track, soothing and filled with tribal strumming and some Folk elements that in turn also give it quite a different character than ‘Memory’. It’s warmer in tone and far less melancholic, but the repetition and lack of real standout elements makes it a little bit of a step back for me after the spectacular opener. Closer ‘A Moment in Eternity’ is then a track that is typical for the last few Drudkh records, with all the recognizable elements, melodies, drive and atmosphere. As the drums and tempo swell in intensity the riffs really take flight into rather beautiful realms. Here you clearly hear the resemblance with ‘Shadow Play’, and while perhaps not as stunning as ‘Memory’, this is one of those typical examples why we love Drudkh.
I quite appreciate ‘Thaw’, even though admittedly my favorite work by Drudkh was early in their career. It once again highlights their gift to write mesmerizing melodies, and paired with a wonderful sense of melancholy, ‘Memory’ is one of the best tracks in their entire discography. Definitely worth a listen for the avid Drudkh fan, but if you have been following the band for a long time I strongly doubt you needed me to come to that conclusion.
