Returning for their eleventh album in fifteen years, Drudkh once again prove that being so prolific isn't a bad thing. Ignoring the occasional slight wobble, the Ukrainians have a remarkably solid discography with very little divergence from a formula that has been well-honed since 2003's Forgotten Legends. Slightly more melodic here, a little more aggressive there, Drudkh have championed both their homeland and its poetry through unrest, revolution, and even invasion by a foreign power. As such, the (slightly clumsily) translated title of their latest album has real impact, wishing for a brighter future for an unstable yet very proud country. Black metal is at its best when it is most atmospheric in effect, whisking the listener away from the trials of daily life to walk through fields of wheat on a starry night, and Drudkh do this perfectly, even the cover art the band's best in years.

Opening with aggressive power in Nakryta neba burym dakhom ("Covered by the sky with a brown roof") the song changes partway through to melodic post-rock, as captivating as the earlier black metal, approaching catchiness as the central tremolo riffing keeps hold of a melody throughout. Compositionally, this is excellent. Thurios' vocals are passionate and angry (lyrics as ever taken from Ukrainian poets) yet placed well enough that they don't distract from the guitars which are as downright beautiful as ever. Drummer Vlad is also outstanding, supporting the guitars well yet hitting hard and keeping far from simplistic blastbeats - listen to the cymbalwork in U dakhiv irzhavim kolossyu ("in the roof's rusty colossus") for example. Backing keyboards (also by Vlad) are rare but used very well when they do appear, as an added layer of epic majesty on Vechirniy smerk okutuye kimnaty ("Evening tumultuous room").

And that epic majesty is ultimately what makes Drudkh so good. The closing Bilyavyy den' vtomyvsya i prytykh ("the day was tired and bleached") is so heavy as to be nearly physical in impact, the layers of guitars a waterfall at first, then turning closer to chunky heavy metal before reverting to shimmering black metal. Despite all but one song here being well over eight minutes long, they don't feel it, weaving a hypnotic spell that keeps the listener gripped. Perhaps still not their finest work when compared to classics of post-millennial black metal like The Swan Road and Blood in Our Wells, but a brilliant reminder of Drudkh's skill and power. Here's hoping spring comes soon.