Album Review: Draken – Draken (Majestic Mountain Records)

Majestic Mountain Records will release the self-titled debut album of prog rock trio Draken on March 26th 2021.

With a touch of the ‘garage’ rock and fuzzy doom to them, Draken let their imaginations go wild for a debut that will have prog rock fans salivating at the prospect of a modern band showcasing such eclectic ideas.

Not a fan of prog rock? Don’t let that put you off as Draken have plenty of upbeat groove and bouncy energy to get bodies moving. Hell, it’s the focus on the first few tracks. Realm of Silence, Way Down Low and Grand General. A trio of punchy rockers with the riffs and hooks to sell what they’re offering. The convincing aspect being the vocals, that have urgency and rawness but aren’t lacking in power or poise. Watch out for some flashes of proper heaviness too!

The expansion on their sound really starts to come through with (We Walk In) Circles, where the fuzziness present earlier really gets deep. The doomier start dissipates into eerie effects and powerful vocals before erupting in thumping style and back again. The drops are stomach churning but leave you giggling with anticipation. There’s nothing anticlimactic about this one.

Which makes listening to to the filthy distortion of The Master all the more difficult. Not because it’s bad, far from it, rather the relentless thickness and layers of melodies drift through the skull, slowly but effectively taking over the mind. The proggy rhythm, the twists and turns, are puzzling but always interesting.

Something that naturally applies to the peppier Strange Love and monumentally heavier Mountain In An Endless Ocean. The former has the effect of listening to Draken through a hole in the wall, you can hear them clearly but it’s got a disconnected feel because you’re not in the room with them. It’s a very unusual feeling especially as the track’s tempo is kept so high throughout.

The latter is a tad simpler, as much as simple can apply to Draken, and comes rushing out of the gates with heavy guitars and near-shouted vocals. This passionate display is instantly addictive and ensures this fascinating release goes out with a big old bang!

Draken – Draken Full Track Listing:

1. Realm of Silence
2. Way Down Low
3. Grand General
4. (We Walk In) Circles
5. The Master
6. Strange Love
7. Mountain In An Endless Ocean

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Majestic Mountain Records