Druids: Shadow Work

Shadow Work is the latest album from Utah based psychedelic sludge metal band Druids (not to be confused with the UK band Druid, or the vast array of other bands in this genre with the word Druid in their name; Green Druid, Elder Druid, Yung Druid etc al).

The press release for Shadow Work suggests that the album is recommended for fans of Mastodon, OM, Baroness, Conan, Bell Witch, Pallbearer, Sleep, Queens Of The Stone Age, and the like. These aren’t bad comparisons; however I would potentially throw Tool into the influences mix too, as some of the bass heavy grooves and arrangements have a mathematical precision to them which gives me that sort of vibe (refer tracks "Aether" and "Ide’s Koan"). Wide ranging influences aside, the overriding feeling of the release for me is that it is essentially Mastodon worship. The Mastodon influence is a particularly strong aspect on this release- there is a noticeable influence in the instrumentation and vocal delivery ("Othenian Blood" is a very clear example of this).

All in all I quite enjoy Shadow Work; there’s no doubt it is a well written and executed release; however if I’m honest I find myself getting distracted by how obvious some of the Mastodon influence is at times. If I’m brutally honest I am likely to reach for Crack the Sky or Blood Mountain if I find myself in the mood to listen to this sort of style, but it’s a good album none the less.

Track Listing
1. Aether
2. Path to R
3. Ide's Koan
4. Hide
5. Dance of Skulls
6. Othenian Blood
7. Traveller
8. Cloak-Nior Bloom

Added: July 30th 2022
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 560
Language: english

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