I like reviewing underground bands. They posses a certain charm, or a scent, if you prefer, that separates them from the masses, even though the musical format can be often somewhat feeble: The cover art, the production, CD-R's, almost every aspect is reeking with amateurism, what is hardly relevant to the labels and the signed bands under their wings. This fact put aside, although the packaging isn't very attractive as far as underground/unsigned bands are concerned, which applies also to this 4-song demo by DROHM, the first of which is a tranquil acoustic guitar passage, and the total playing time of not much more than fifteen minutes - Great a treasure one can occasionally find within the most unattractive of packaging...DROHM represents, to me, the better side of underground extreme metal bands, amongst which some mutual denominators are shared: Musicians in their late twenties/early thirties, older and mature, experienced and wiser, having a rich background of playing numerous other totally esoteric bands, in which they had gained their knowledge and expertise, maybe even had released some demo recordings, on whatever format was the cheapest at that point in time: Audio tape/7 inch vinyl/CD-R, and after wandering for many years, learning, internalizing, building up a true alternative personality, finally have found their own true way of expression - Their own band, often it would be a long-standing one (DROHM exists since 1994), often this would be a solo project (as DROHM once was). I will explain it this way: Relatively older musicians (and still underground), musical experience (and still underground), realization of a long-standing, stable outfit eventually (and still remaining underground), and often would it be a solo-project (underground solo-project, that is...). In addition, many of those anonymous persons carry some interesting musical/textual ideas, some are even pretty unconventional ones, not to say original and exciting (as there are some totally uninspiring copycats...). I cannot put my finger on the trigger that convinced labels to sign this or that band, I cannot say every singed band bares a commercial potential, as much as I cannot say the opposite, maybe it is the LUCK factor that plays to the hands of bands, to some with good reasons, to other, a total waste of good luck being spent on the wrong ones...Still, there is this unique musical aroma, elusive and slippery quality to it, something that defies the power of words, regarding the elite of underground bands. Of one of those bands I will write right now: As above mentioned, DROHM was spawned in the year 1994, by an underground veteran named Travis Lorden, and all additional biography does not interest me, on the other hand the music - Well, this is another story...This demo recording, "Oracles of darkened time", is the last recorded by DROHM, now that the outfit has become a three-piece band, consisting of three entities, one of which is a drummer, a fact that sets this demo apart from the previous recording in which a drum machine was used. Now, before continuing, should the music, the feelings it conjures, the visions generated, will defy my writing skill, I will only say this: I will refer the readers to a Greek underground solo-project called GODLEES, especially to its most recent recording "Let there be darkness", which reminded me a lot the intricacy and atmosphere made flesh on DROHM's "oracles of darkened time". It's a very strange, organic blend of Death and Black Metal, not the blend so banal and familiar that is often heard from other so many a band, but a musicianship on a higher level: The aggressive skeleton was platted with several vocal qualities, shifting by pitch and tone, according to the music, on each second, as if they were a chameleon, altering its body color in perfect synchronicity with the moving background, and wall of guitar riffs with the obvious Death Metal school influence, and that skeleton was being ornamented with some very somber, melodic, emotional thin and monotonous riffage, some pseudo-oriental melodies, as if it was some golden thread, sewed into the dark velvet garment, not only shining with its own relative beauty, but lending an integrative beauty to the whole garment...This is Blackened Death Metal or Deathly Black Metal in the truest, purest way possible, and don't take that for granted, as it is not an easy task to accomplish, not like that. This is the organic blend of power, heaviness, bestiality, emotion, melody and a whole lot of an atmosphere. All that put into a steaming cauldron, brewing this very abrasive and exquisite soup, and yet so smooth and tasteful. One should be very familiar with those two dominating genres, so that one style will not outshine the other one. DROHM has caught the essence of these styles, incorporated them perfectly, in such a way that the outcome is never due to fall into banalities and scornful clichés: It is melodic and atmospheric and yet aggressive and heavy, it is wild and violent and yet never neglecting the more "spiritual" aspects of the sounds. I was listening to these four track for a dozen times in the passing 24 hours, maybe more, and still this work of art has never turned to be transparent, boring or tedious. It is still impenetrable, enjoyable, interesting, always showing me something new in the very complicated music (complicated? You'd have to listen for yourselves). Interesting of them all, is the fact it is only a 15 minutes ride through musical landscapes, but, due to the music's eclecticism both in power, musicianship and raw sophistication - it bares a quality equal to other band's full albums, maybe even more than that, maybe even much more...only fifteen minutes, so very little yet so much more...And who ever said the size counts anyway?

© 2002 c. drishner