The many different iterations of death-doom have led to what can easily be called some of the most evocative releases that metal has seen in some of its heaviest forms, but anyone who even has only ever dipped their toe into the depths of the style knows that there is so much more to be had in those tombs of greatness. It can effortlessly become one of the most epic sounds to have risen from the depths should the right group come around and wield it with terrifying power, and it really does feel as though there are more and more worthy acts coming forth that are able to deliver such glory. Druid Lord is no stranger to being in the spotlight of the death-doom world even if it is for just a brief time, but it’s with their forthcoming opus of writhing darkness that they deserve much more than a few fleeting moments in the limelight.

When there’s real, thick slime seeping from the very bricks of the tombs that only the very best and most intriguing acts that come out of the depths of the death-doom world can produce with seemingly minimal effort, it quickly makes for the sort of material that the term “jaw-dropping” feels like it was made for. The very history of the style is laden with acts that still to this very day continue to bewilder and astound with their craft that can just as easily be as powerful as it is evocative in its many different forms with many new names continuously coming forth to only further the glory of such undeniable power with “Relics of the Dead” arguably being the greatest testament to date from Druid Lord for all that they’ve offered the sound since they first got together. Far from a monotone creation that is content to simply leave the listener with some drawn-out notes with a slow tempo layered underneath deep, guttural vocals no matter how potent the lyrical content may be, it’s in the eight works of calculated intensity here that “Relics of the Dead” truly takes on a life of its own as it’s for the entirety of its runtime that we’re granted a glorious display of virtually everything that the very spectrum of death-doom has to offer with Druid Lord somehow managing to bring it all together in such a form that cannot be considered anything short of wildly compelling. There isn’t a single minute of this performance that isn’t jam-packed with more than what any of us could ask for out of a single release from the style for all it brings to the table in such massive quality, and I simply and truly cannot express nearly enough just how well Druid Lord was able to execute such a bold sound in exquisite detail that offers nothing but the sweetest form of all-consuming darkness that this style has produced in a hot minute.

The very name of Druid Lord at this point in their career since their beginnings twelve years ago is the exact sort of name that should raise the hearts and ears of anyone who considers themselves a true connoisseur of modern death-doom for all that they’ve accomplished up to this point, yet few comparisons can be made that I feel could dethrone their third opus as their best and most invigorating piece to date. It is upon the release of “Relics of the Dead” that the whole realm of the style should rejoice in the glory that will crash land before them, and should the halls of these catacombs not reverberate from the reaction of listeners then I will truly feel sorry for the lost souls not able to find glory in this massive work.

“Relics of the Dead” releases on January 21st via Hells Headbangers!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Relics of the Dead” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Druid Lord on Facebook here.