Drottnar sure takes their sweet time putting out albums, with 6 or 7 years between full-length releases. This time, it was definitely worth the wait. I was a fan of the first album, Spiritual Battle, but found 2006’s Welterwerk too chaotic and have rarely listened to it after the first few spins. Stratum seems to have taken the best of both those releases and melded them together into a furious sonic fury. There is still plenty of technical playing involved, maybe even more than in the past. Yet it never seems to get too chaotic or noisy, as those parts are juxtaposed with a more subdued grind and some atonal chord work, of all things—and it works. Add to that the stellar production, and this album shines. It’s already been a great year for extreme Christian Metal, and Stratum does its part to contribute.
Features
Evolution Beyond Dissonance
Two years since the release of Hands Like Houses' latest album, 'Anon,' the band should be on the road supporting the release. Instead, the band has leveraged their local presence, government help, and new platforms like Patreon to stay afloat in the COVID-age.
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Hope Through the Loss
Idle Threat's latest EP, 'Nothing is Broken for Good,' paints a serendipitous picture of what comes from hope in the future: 'The record is definitely about loss and hope through that loss.'
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A Disparate Vintage
On Tigerwine's latest, 'Nothing is for You,' vocalist and lyricist Trobee departs from the band's last effort as a concept record to write about an array subjects. Notably, Trobee tackles his evolution from rigid belief system to an acceptance and understanding of other ideas: "Through touring and becoming close with those very people I was taught to be afraid of, I realized how untrue it all is."
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Becoming Comrades
The trio of Comrades – husband and wife Joe and Laura McElroy alongside drummer John Gaskil – is used to living in a van and touring the country. Now, their new normal has provided them with a moment to "be adults" for once. We recently sat down with the McElroys to talk more about the spiritual reality within life, how soon they'll be able to release new music, and how koalas are their new normal.
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