EP Review: Eternal Drak - The Warrior Order
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
The more I dig into the realms of blackened thrash, the more I discover things about the sub-genre that I’ve grown to like and appreciate. It was a style that I didn’t really pay that much attention to when I grew up in my teenage years, apart from probably Venom, but they were a precursor to the current crop.
With bands like Aura Noir, and more recently Midnight and Hellripper, a new breed has exploded and expanded the sound to make it more accessible, and it’s allowed me to delve deeper into bands like Eternal Drak, who have emerged with this new five song EP. They have a long history, with brothers Drakar and Warhammer laying down the foundations back in 1997, but now based in Quebec, Canada, they return with Andres Martinez (Drakar) on vocals & guitar, Mike Amyot on guitar and Patrick Auger (PPO) on drums.
“Oda A La Luna” sees a powerful drum at the beginning, before the rhythm settles in this dark ode. The lyrical theme is one of rebellion and ritual, and you can feel the intensity with each slap on the snare. The middle section has a sudden tempo change, with a riff that will get your head moving and the intensity follows through.
It leads onto “Contro Viento” which builds slowly with orchestral instrumentation and sinister vocals before the hellish and ferocious riff takes over. The energy flows out of the dark forces that have been circling above but it has another twist with cleaner vocals accompanying the composition. It’s a bit of treat from start to finish.
There’s evil intent at the start of next song “Eternal Drak” something I’d expect as it’s named after the band. Again, the trio are delving into themes of dark forces and mythical battles, but they have upped the intensity on this one as it sounds more powerful. It’s hard not to imagine a town or castle besieged by dragon’s fire and the hellish earth that awaits any survivors.
A tough song to follow, but with “La Nueva Orden” they offer something a little different, as South American harmonies and acoustic guitars offer real depth. It’s almost as if they are trying to draw you into their depraved world and lead you astray, before taking control of your mind and sending you to out to fight for them. It’s an intriguing song, and fits in perfectly with the narrative of the EP.
They’ve chosen to end with a cover of Metallica’s “Leper Messiah” and with their own twisted take, they’ve given it a bit of an overhaul. They’ve adapted their vocals and given it a bit more energy, and proved that it was a bold experiment worth taking, as it’s worked out well and will please old and new fans alike.
