*This album came out in October 2022 but we just got an email from their PR about featuring it and its badass so we decided to feature it even though its been out for some months*
The middle ground often does not get the respect it deserves. The middle ground can be a bridge or
path between two great things, but sometimes, people do not stop to look around and realize that path
is just as enjoyable as the two destinations. It can also be a reprieve from having to choose one side or
the other. Why have vanilla or chocolate when you can have both together? This is my extended and
annoying way of saying I believe there are bands that stand firmly in the middle and do it exceptionally
well.
Russian black metal band, Drakon do exactly that with their latest release, Awakening. Their sound feels
right between the most extreme black metal and the most “approachable” versions of the genre. The
thing that stands out the most is their ability to add a legitimate groove to the black metal sound. There
are moments on the album where the vocals have a cadence you might expect from hip hop. I know that
sounds like it might be odd, but trust me, it works. The vocals are also pretty relentless. Demether Grail
is at a 10 in every song, giving it all he has. If you told me he had to stand back from the microphone a
bit more during recording, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. But it is that vocal performance that enhances
this album.
The music is also quite the thing to admire. It has all the earmarks of black metal like lots of tremolo
picking and blast beats, but Drakon really diversify their sound with some amazing melodic riffs to help
break up any potential monotony. A lot of the riffs also add to the feeling of black metal with groove.
It’s hard to describe exactly what the X factor is on this album, but it definitely has it. Taking my best
stab at it I would say Awakening by Drakon is a culmination of everything fitting together tightly and
perfectly. This album was thought about deeply and seems as though every note was considered.
Everything is in balance and complimentary. Considering a major theme of the album is forces of nature,
I think Drakon managed to make this album a force of nature itself.
Overall Score: 9/10
Review by: Dan Perretta
