Every once in a while you find a record that really surprises you. Sometimes it surprises you because of the music, other times because of the provenance. What I'm trying to say is that I wasn't expecting an extremely kvlt environmentalist black metal record to be coming from a band based in Iowa City. It's a surprising background for a band who have crafted something wonderfully raw and twisted. There is something almost terrifying about the scope of their new album The Abyssal Plain, the first ever full length from these underground masters.
Dryad's lyrics draw inspiration from the depths of the ocean. Their music tells tales of the freaky things that start to happen when you go thousands of feet below the surface. It's perfect subject matter for a band whose music is so wonderfully dense and twisted. This is not black metal to show your friend just getting into heavy music, this is the real stuff. It feels almost like a Finnish black metal band with the emphasis on speed and the synth padding that accompanies some of the sickest songs. It's hard not to be charmed by the blasting ferocity that the band unleash on songs like "Brine Pool Aberration" and the creepy mastery of a track like "Raptures of the Deep".
The Abyssal Plain is twisted and borderline upsetting. It's a record that showcases musicians clearly in love with the rawer side of the genre and addicted to the glorious violence that this genre can spill at the highest levels. There is a wonderful sense of darkness that keeps me coming back, in awe of the bitter misery that Dryad have for so long cultivated and cast into the abyss. It's black metal done right, with a message of respect for nature and tales of the real life monsters lurking in the depths. Letting yourself get savaged by the raw assault is a pleasure.
Pre-order the album!
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