Obake’s third album is hailed as ‘both a return to the origins of the band and a purification of their sound’ and promises ‘ominous riffs and looming atmospheres interlace and shift with hypnotic psychedelia, frantic noise, pleasurable melodies and a good measure of groove’.
‘Cold Facts’ brings forth a 90s post-grunge vibe, with chunky, chugging metal rhythm guitars driving the verses, while lacs with sinewy, interloping lead lines calling to mind the likes of Korn and their early noughties contemporaries but the epic, expansive chorus proving to melodically rich, hinting more towards Faith No More and unsung heroes Milk.
Indeed, Draugr melds the dynamics and angst of grunge with the shuddering force of early nu-metal. But in place of the naff rap trappings, they offer more dingy, guttural vocals by way of a contrast to the strongly melodic vocal segments.
‘Hellface’ careers headlong into the realms of punishing thrash, a grunt and churn and a barrage of kick drum. The gradual builder, slower-tempo, ‘The Augr’ is layered and expansive, a strolling bass and textured guitar sound provide the bckdrop to a reflective vocal delivery which brings an emotional depth to proceedings. But it’s by no means soft: in fact, it’s how latter day Metallica may have sounded if they hadn’t sold out.
To accentuate the point, ‘Appeasing the Apparition’ is a thundering heavyweight song, a lumbering bass and trudging riff grinding slow and low, and the serpentine groove of ‘Serving the Albibi’ is a dark, seductive beast that has hits of a more rugged take on Alice in Chains’ sound.
