Having spent my childhood in the eastern United States right next to the Chesapeake Bay with all of its little rivers and winding waterways that comb throughout the very land, the west with its mountains and deserts have always been endlessly fascinating to me. They feel downright alien with the very land feeling as though it has a spirit of its own from its harsh wildlife to the very history that permeates the dirt and rocks with the very heat of the sun feeling as though it bears the weight of so much more. It’s no wonder to me that such a landscape has been the direct source of inspiration for a significant chunk of music out there with there being truly prime real estate for anyone seeking to make deeply atmospheric, introspective, and potent material out of. It’s been far too long since I came upon a long-form depiction of the visions granted to us from those very lands, and it’s finally from Droneroom that the drought has ended in glorious fashion.

It hasn’t been since Canyon of the Skull that I’ve been able to truly sit down and immerse myself in an experience that’s as steeped in the desert as what Droneroom has provided us with here, yet it’s down to the very soul of the forthcoming album, “Whatever Truthful Understanding”, that this act manages to embody the desert as well as much more than that. A transcendent work that’s as transformative as it is enlightening right from the very beginning, this is the exact kind of drone that feels deeply personal on such a level that every single person can find something to relate to out of its hour-long runtime as we are seeking. Seeking for what? It truly depends on who’s listening. Whether it’s a massive change in your life or a search to liberate yourself spiritually, the very essence of “Whatever Truthful Understanding” brings the listener on a trip under the guise of a nameless guide roaming through the nameless desert as the wilderness simply swirls around it with the very jingling of keys to the winds playing significant roles in the album’s performance as a whole that’s sure to leave an impact upon any who immerse themselves in the night of what Droneroom has to offer here. If there is to be an album that is all but meant for you to truly lose yourself in and, thus, find yourself then it absolutely has got to be this one with the acoustic forefront of the album molding gorgeously with the powerful minimalistic effects alongside well-used field recordings that bring the very desert to life for all five of these deeply immersive pieces that manage to evolve themselves into so much more than simple atmosphere with a lazy guitar at the front of it all. Rather, “Whatever Truthful Understanding” quickly makes itself known as a certifiable work of soul that cannot be simply pushed aside.

Such an effort like this is precisely why I will always have a soft spot in my heart for drone with it being a genre that’s all but meant to lose yourself in with names like Droneroom constantly showing us how staggering such a well-executed album can be when it’s simply put in the right hands. The very winds and openness of all that’s to be found within “Whatever Truthful Understanding” are a haven that I will certainly be finding immense solace in as we move forward, and I can only hope to see you under the stars as Droneroom weaves its incredible magic before our meditations.

“Whatever Truthful Understanding” releases on April 15th via Desert Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Whatever Truthful Understanding” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Droneroom on Facebook here.