DRUUN

The Riga-based quintet DRUUN delivers a rather unexpected blend of styles, enriching its death/doom metal sound with folk influences. Admittedly, that's quite an unusual combination... Although the band's discography currently boasts just one full-length album, its ranks include experienced current and former members of such bands as SKYFORGER, URSKUMUG, CATALEPSIA and HEAVEN GREY. Their extensive experience on the scene translates into a high-quality, solid musical output.

The Latvian band's sound is slow, melancholic and rooted in classic death/doom metal, featuring heavy, exceptionally rich male vocals, further spiced up with more extreme black and death metal elements. The oppressive, deep guitar riffs are complemented by the gentle sounds of flutes and other folk instruments, evoking associations with Czech legends SILENT STREAM OF GODLESS ELEGY, among others. Overall, the band's sole album, Veļu laiks, comes across as a massive, monolithic block of the hardest rock, and in this respect DRUUN bring to mind their compatriots FRAILTY.

The musicians themselves claim that their music is a tribute to Latvian pre-Christian traditions, the spirit of their ancestors, and the connection between the world of the living and the afterlife. If that's the case, we can only confirm that they've hit the nail on the head with their stylistic approach!