Band: Drakum
Album: Zombie Dragons from Outer Space
Release Date: 31st January 2020
Record Label: Helheim Records
I have heard the band name Drakum flying about for a few months, and as usual, I’m a little behind on album reviews for recent releases. But a mere month (and a few days) after its release, it’s finally time to give Zombie Dragons from Outer Space a listen.
The intro track, U’re Fucked Obviously, is very synth heavy in its intro, with a retro game style to it. There are also various news reports, all increasing in intensity and panic. The Big One kicks in with fiddle, and then there’s hard and fast drums, with a mix of harsh and clean vocals. There’s an epic feel to this, with a tempo that’s full of energy and ripe for some jump and dance pits.
Another epic track with a lot of fiddle and a fast paced is Drunken Heroes, it’s definitely one for a good old jig pit. It’s fast paced and has an almost epic feel to it. Ragman starts at a slower pace, but kicks it up a notch, but not quite to the same level as the previous tracks. At times with the flutes there’s an almost Eluveitie feel at times. There’s a lot of different tempos but it blends together really well.
Urashima has a build up with fiddle and chugging guitar, and fiddle and flutes bring a happy, jiggy melody. It’s fast paced with harsh vocals, and clean vocals join in for the chorus. We Are Alive brings back the retro game vibes, and it’s perfect for a live audience. There’s fast instrumental and fiddle that’s asking for a dance, and there’s also the perfect opportunity for some “Hey!” chants.
Onto a slower track, but still with a tempo to dance to, Bonfire has more fiddle. Pirate Dreams definitely has a pirate feel to the intro, and the track is high energy throughout. Tambors de Llibertat slows things right down, with a pretty much full acoustic track. There are drums and pipes to start, and a fiddle joins in, it sounds like a Scottish march to battle. Are we about to face those as yet un-mentioned Zombie Dragons from Outer Space?
Fins l’Ultim Ale has strings to start, and then goes into a mid-tempo main body. I feel like this track is more of a track to headbang to rather than to dance to, but even the most hardy dancers to folk metal can still find a way! There’s also a twiddly (technical term) guitar solo.
The final (and title) track of the album, Zombie Dragons from Outer Space, begins with piano and some type of xylophone (listening to that I actually miss playing xylophone type instruments way back in my single digit years), and the track has quite a creepy feel. There’s a slow buildup of all of the instruments, but the main body of the track brings the familiar dancey feel, and there’s a bit of sci-fi in there too. About half-way through the track, there’s a “troll” metal feel to the music. The song ends almost abruptly with silence, followed by ambient nature sounds, piano, and strings.
Overall, I really enjoyed this album. It’s another folk metal album that is a party pretty much the whole way though. Even with the slower paced tracks, it’s still up-beat enough to have a dance to. Each songs has a variety of different sections, slow, fast, harsh vocals, clean vocals, headbanging, ambient, full on jig, but Drakum manage to bring these elements together really well and blend them into one song without it sounding disconnected. I need to delve further into Drakum’s back catalogue, but I already suspect I will love what I hear, and I am certain I will want to hear them live.
Verdict: 8.5/10
Buy BAND music and merch: https://drakum.bandcamp.com/
Listen to BAND on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2egqZI7Cz9JqioUoUBxM9H
Follow BAND on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrakumOfficial/
BAND website: https://www.drakum.com/
RECORD LABEL website: https://www.facebook.com/HelheimrecordsSP/
Ostara Metal 