I love ‘for fans of’ or ‘related artists’ shorthands. In lieu of the endless genre discussions, it’s a great shortcut to match potential fans with new music. It has its shortcomings, of course; for one, you need to actually know the bands to get a feeling for whether it might be up your alley. Furthermore, bands can abuse it by referencing a bunch of popular bands, even when their style is only tangentially related. Case in point: the promo sheet for Drungi’s self-released debut Hamfarir Hugans included such a baffling spread in their FFO, I was immediately skeptical. Sólstafir, Skálmöld, Black Sabbath, Gojira and Manowar. What on Earth could possibly sound like all of those at the same time?
Against all odds, Hamfarir Hugans actually manages to tick most of those boxes in one way or another, without losing any cohesion. The first reference is the nearest kin: Sólstafir’s bleak mood and post-folk-metal textures are recognizable right away. But instead of despondent icy landscapes, Drungi uses that palette to draw crude cave paintings of primitive war and dark rituals. The coarse vocals recall their countrymen’s typical style of black metal, but the staccato delivery, occasional cleans and female backing vocals give a more tribal, primal vibe. As do the riffs, which are relatively simple and straightforward, but contain a marching, warlike spirit that fit perfectly with the band’s sonic aesthetics. The band doesn’t neatly fall into one genre or another, containing elements of traditional-, epic doom-, folk- and black metal, conglomerating into a sound that might appeal to Hangman’s Chair fans in addition to all the above.1
Of course, the most important is whether Hamfarir Hugans is any good, and I can happily confirm that once more! Opener “Alda” serves as a kind of microcosm for the album at large, serving a somewhat repetitious riff with enough verve and spirit to stave off the threat of repetitiveness, including whispers and female chants for atmosphere, and a more traditional-hewing solo that breaks up the track nicely. This kind of simple but mature songwriting is key across the record, along with a consistency in the performances that implies the band members have much more experience making music than their empty Metal Archives histories account for. A hazard of a young band with a very particular sound is over-reliance on the sound without accounting for variation between tracks, but Drungi know to compensate for that. Mid-paced stompers like the opener contrast with higher charges like “Skjálfti” or “Ófærð,” and the melodic solos provide a nice change of pace.
Even so, the band never dips into either outright doom- or speed metal pacing, keeping a tight grip on the reins. Perhaps a bit too tight, as my sole nit to pick with Hamfarir Hugans would be an unadventurous spirit. That may sound odd when I’ve spent so much time building up the band’s unique sound, but my gripe is less with the album as a whole as it is with the progression of each track individually. It’s a consequence of the focus on that primal sound, where each track is primarily centered around one central riff that varies little as the song goes on, keeping the pacing, energy and atmosphere largely stagnant from the beginning of the track to the end. That’s part of what makes the solos so effective a break, too. There’s evidence Drungi is aware of this flaw; “Kvika” introduces a nice break in the middle and builds toward the solo from there, but then returns to its main riff unnecessarily at the end.
Still, it’s a petty complaint, especially for a band who have managed to dig out a niche of their own with a unique yet cohesive sound and solid performances for their first and unsigned album. It speaks of a combination of lethal talent, inspiration, and a hell of a working ethic. I hope Drungi is willing to dig deep and mine the most out of its style, because this outfit has the potential to go very far indeed. Hamfarir Hugans is just the first step.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: drungi.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/drungiiceland
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024
