Anti-Urban

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共2首歌曲

艺人: Drudkh
语种: 其他
厂牌: Supernal
发行时间: 2007年04月16日
专辑类别: EP、单曲

专辑介绍

【Bertilak】：‘Anti-Urban’ is an EP that has been a long time in the making and has been similarly long anticipated by Drudkh fans, containing as it does two tracks that are promised to be 100% exclusive to this release, never to be available in any other format, and limited to 999 copies. Although a tasteful and stylish presentation, the 10-inch coloured vinyl is still a fairly basic package overall, despite its “collectors’ vinyl” price tag. There was also a time when calling a record an “EP” meant that you got at least four tracks but never mind… At least the vinyl does come in the colour of the purest earthy clay, entirely befitting a band of Drudkh’s rural sensibilities. The cover features images of Kharkiv in Ukraine (where the tracks were also recorded) taken between 1941 and 1943, the years when the city was first captured by the Nazis and finally retaken by the Red Army, respectively. The years between had seen fierce fighting as Kharkiv was lost and recaptured by the Axis powers twice, with 70% of the city destroyed and more than 30,000 people killed. Of course, to Ukrainian nationalists like Drudkh, the conventional historical view of an ultimate liberation by the Red Army is a less clear-cut issue. To them it could be viewed as more of a second occupation, which could account for the mournful and lamenting tone of this record. As well as depicting Ukraine’s wartime heritage, the cover images also inform the track titles, as both ‘Fallen into Oblivion’ and ‘Ashes’ have clear resonances with the fate of Kharkiv between 1941 and 1943: the ashes of the destroyed buildings and the oblivion of Nazi/Soviet occupations. More directly, the photographs also encapsulate the title of the record as a whole with knowing irony: what could be more ‘anti-urban’ than the annihilation of a city? The track chosen for the A side is an instrumental. ‘Fallen into Oblivion’ is resolutely slow, the clipped drum marching to almost funeral time. However, the guitars produce the same high, keening tone that characterises Drudkh’s material and the track is built around a simple, focussed riff that gradually rises before slowly falling back, ready to be repeated. Of course, as always with Drudkh, this apparent simplicity is deceptive. As the track progresses, it becomes clearer that the riff actually involves two guitars, which gradually evolve slight variations to the main motif, counterpointing one another with effective use of glissando. A lower pitched middle section, highlighted by more extensive use of cymbals, provides further contrast before returning to the main theme, although this second riff does reappear at the end before the fade-out. Even at this sombre and precise pace, the wall of distortion that Drudkh emit from their guitars is overwhelming and the sense of repressed grief it evokes is undeniably powerful. ‘Fallen into Oblivion’ has an introspective air, where the slowness is obviously deliberate and highly focussed. All the emphasis is on the guitars and their mesmerising, intertwined dual-riff, while the stark drum simply marks out the elegiac march. ‘Ashes’, on the B side, is not an instrumental but the vocals are so low in the mix (typically for Drudkh) and used so sparingly that it can almost seem like one in retrospect. The track is much faster, with insistent drumming and a choppy, staccato main riff urging the song along. Although the riff is more varied on ‘Ashes’ and features clearly identifiable differing elements, it still basically framed within a descent from high to low before repeating, providing a sense of continuity with the A side over and above the superficially noticeable change in pace. Despite its greater urgency and harsher riffing, ‘Ashes’ manages to preserve the sense of melancholy that so characterises ‘Fallen into Oblivion’, and this is highlighted by the slower section that the song introduces about two thirds in that carries it through to an notably abrupt fade-out. Overall, ‘Anti-Urban’ is quite a downbeat single, its lasting impression one of mournfulness and reflection, which again relates well to the cover imagery with its ruined aftermath of conflict. It also represents something of a return to the ‘Forgotten Legends’ era for Drudkh, with no guitar solos and keyboards absent (or at least inaudible). Also notable is the sharp, snare-heavy drum sound, which lacks a bit of depth but affords a suitably militaristic precision, especially on ‘Fallen into Oblivion’. During its lengthy gestation, ‘Anti-Urban’ changed from an initially posited 7-inch single to a 10-inch release, the wider format ostensibly allowing greater track length and better sound reproduction. However, there is still a sense of containment hanging over both tracks. Since their inception, Drudkh have always used fade-outs on their lengthy tracks but here ‘Ashes’ in particular features an extremely unsympathetic curtailment, too jarring and sudden to be properly termed a ‘fade-out’. It’s more as if it simply ran out of time. The tracks are in many ways classic Drudkh, with memorable riffs and perfectly judged atmosphere and emotion, but there lingers a suspicion that they don’t seem fully explored, that they could have been further developed if allowed. Whether that is due to the band or to the pragmatics of the format is difficult to judge but the latter does seem a strong possibility. In no sense is ‘Anti-Urban’ a poor release; indeed, it is another strong addition to the Drudkh catalogue, which is surely already one of the most pre-eminent in heathen black metal. It’s just that it exudes the whiff of a slightly missed opportunity, which a couple of extra inches and more imaginative packaging might have precluded. Of course, limited to 999 copies and never to be re-released, that is unlikely to be much of a disincentive for their many fans.

Anti-Urban

专辑介绍

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