Artist: Dryas
Country: Portugal
Label: Asylum Tenebris
Formats: Demo Tape
Year: 2025
When I reviewed Dryas’ ‘Monumentos à Eternidade’-demo tape a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t know that was actually their third demo. At the time of writing there was no information available and ‘Monumentos à Eternidade’ just came available from Altare Productions. But, now, a few weeks on, there’s two more demo tapes from this new and enigmatic Portuguese Black Metal band. Now, although I started on the wrong side of the sequence, I am happy to complete the triptych. We now begin with the demo that is meant to be the first of the three: ‘The Land Of Wolves And The Black Frost’.
This first demo, then, is basically in perfect musical alignment with what I heard on ‘Monumentos à Eternidade’. The Raw Black Metal verges on Lo-Fi confines, making Dryas a proud new addition to the celebrated Portuguese scene. As a closing track, we find a Black Cilice cover, which emphasizes both their musical and topographical origins. It is indeed in exact these regions we can place Dryas, a well-balanced amalgam between Black Cilice and Candelabrum. Yet, to add a bit of an own twist, amidst of the overall crudeness of the music there is strong sense for melodicism. The moody, almost dreamy, keyboards, mostly put in the first half of the demo tape, do add a lot of atmosphere to the music and allowing it to convey a true 90’s spirit. The harsh, shouty vocals also add something to more distinct own identity. Although the more howling parts do fit well in the Black Cilice/Candelabrum tradition, I particularly like the rougher vocals that somewhat remind of mid-era Akitsa or even Ildjarn.
In around half an hour, ‘The Land Of Wolves And The Black Frost’ is a great introduction into the world of Dryas. Maybe not the most original anymore, but like a wise man once said: “when it’s done right, it’s done right”. Originality is overrated anyway.
