Without a doubt, one of the best things to ever happen in the entire history of metal and beyond has got to be the very existence of the riff. It’s a concept that many people still hold as a golden standard for what songs are determined to be hits or simply worth our time with entire albums dedicated to perfecting its art with few managing to do it true glory. The idea of making the riffs front and center of performance with no vocals whatsoever to hide their excellence in any form is something that we’re starting to see more and more of throughout the underground as instrumental metal really spreads its wings now more than ever. After a six-year silence since their last creation, Drone Hunter returns to us with an EP that more than does glory for the concept and the entire genre at large.

There’s a fascinating simplicity to making your particular brand of metal instrumental since you’re taking out a very large, key factor of what everybody thinks of whenever the very genre pops into their head, but then there is always the problem of a higher burden on the side of the band as they now face the challenge more than anyone else to hold the listener’s attention with an exceptional display of musical prowess. If nothing else, that’s precisely what has happened with all that Drone Hunter brought to the table for their newest EP, “In Gear”. A collection of what can only be described as fleshed-out jam sessions done by the band during the months of lockdown guided only by their passion for the style and the wills of their clearly talented hands. It would be a disservice to this effort to say “that’s all there is to the EP”, but in no way does this effort dare to claim or try to do more with Drone Hunter very clear with the vision that they have in mind and, especially, how to bring it to life in fascinating detail. This is an honest creation of riff worship that was designed to be exactly that and nothing more with the final reality of “In Gear” showing us just how steeped in the very concepts of the style that Drone Hunter is with every given aspect of these five tracks constantly giving us more than enough reasons to put respect on the very name of this band. They come with a simple mission in mind, and they know how to achieve it to a deadly extent.

A straightforward creation that doesn’t seek to do anything crazy or change the band’s original vision born out of raw passion, the very essence of “In Gear” is a refreshing experience that’s a damn good time no matter what the occasion is you find yourself in. Whether it’s to blast the riffs out of your car with the windows down after work or the shot of adrenaline that you need in order to work yourself up, Drone Hunter has made for a heavy experience that is not one to be underestimated in any form.

LISTEN to “In Gear” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Drone Hunter on Facebook here.