Album Review: Druparia – The River Above (Self Released)

Melodic death metal crew, Druparia, will release long-awaited debut full-length album, ‘The River Above’, on December 27th, 2024.

Hell yeah, let us end the year with a melodeath bang, it’s Druparia and their banging new album, which delivers all the tasty riff-focused melodically charged heaviness that we all demand from this sound, and then some. It’s not easy to leave an impression in this particular genre these days, but Druparia leave a mighty one in the end.

All because they’re delivering dynamic heavyweight head bangers like Voiceless Regret, an opening track that gets the heart pumping strongly in the chest, especially when the chorus hits. Think of all the best melodeath bands you know and you’re in the right ballpark as far as Druparia goes.

Don’t believe me? Get your ears around Under the Shade of Sand and drink in its dark and feral taint. Play Bereavement loud as a cacophony of manic riffs, blistering drumbeats, and scathing vocals hit with immense force (although the soloing might be the best thing about this track). Then head bang until it hurts with the chunky rhythm of Kintsugi, which has a thicker vein of blackened heaviness running through it. All great tracks, and all very memorable in their own way.

Impressively, Druparia keep things varied sounding as the album goes on. Offering up a brief respite from the mania with a little bit of acoustic melody at the start of In Repose, Descend. Not that anyone will be looking for respite really, especially as when this track gets going, it comes with a ton of dynamic passion. There is but one complaint, and that’s a pointless guitar solo. You can’t win them all, and it’s even easier to forgive when you consider the dramatic closing section of the track.

The hits, they keep in coming. Druparia sending the body in pleasure spasms with the glorious guitar work of Sever the Roots. Then reminding the listener of their darker edge with the meatiness of the title track. Before delivering two more unforgettable efforts with Of Firmament…And the Renewal and Bled for Comfort. The former, instrumentally epic and with clean vocals, and the latter, brash and brutalising. Two side of Druparia, equally fantastic.

It’s not quite over yet though, and one of the best has been saved till last. It’s When Cranes Return, and its emphatic and creative heaviness is complimented by a unique and interesting cover of The Civil Wars’ The Violet Hour. What a phenomenal album this is.

Druparia – The River Above Track Listing:

1. Voiceless Regret
2. Under the Shade of Sand
3. Bereavement
4. Kintsugi
5. In Repose, Descend
6. Sever the Roots
7. The River Above
8. Of Firmament… And the Renewal
9. Bled For Comfort
10. When Cranes Return
11. The Violet Hour (The Civil Wars Cover)

Links

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