ALBUM REVIEW: Trip Meadow – Druidess
Rock ‘n’ roll is all about energy and passion. Something that modern day rock has developed and progressed from when considering what really old school rock music used to sound like. More and more artists are aiming to get away from that classic sound that people in the 60s, 70s and even the 80s still enjoyed to listen to and play. Every once in a while though, there is a band that shows up that still carries on this legacy, and Newcastle based doom outfit DRUIDESS are one of these. Formed in 2022, this four-piece are clearly aiming to bring rock ‘n’ roll back to the forefront, and these intentions are obvious upon listening to their debut album Trip Meadow. This is an album that combines elements of modern day hard rock, with old school almost psychedelic sounds to create an unusual, inconsistent release, whilst simultaneously showcasing the talent of each individual member.
The album kicks off with The Hermit Of Druid’s Temple, a song that instantly introduces the fuzzy sounding keys that take you back to the 60s, even though the melodies used in this track are very similar and get boring by the end of the song. Vocally though, especially in the chorus, they shine as the chorus slows down half a tempo to give it more ambience, which is something it very much needs. The instrumental section is incredibly short, and features the same melodies the track includes throughout before a short vocal led bridge arrives to segue the track into the final chorus which gets repeated, and sped up by the very end of the song as it wraps up.
The following track is the title track, and is the longest by a huge margin. Clocking in at 10 minutes and six seconds long, as well as synths and the typical guitars and drums, there is a hint of saxophone that can be heard throughout. The opening three minutes of this song are fully instrumental, and go back and forth between being heavily distorted to eerily peaceful. Just after the three minute mark, the vocals get introduced, and they are as soft as the instruments are behind them, before things get slightly doomier after this first verse. The chorus matches the gloomy, dark riff that is played in the background which works flawlessly. The second verse marks another change, as it is evidently much faster, as the drum beat is uniquely rapid, and the vocal melody works incredibly well with this beat. The bridge once again showcases the duality of dynamics in this track. It is a gradual builder as it starts off mellow and peaceful, but it builds up ahead of the third and final verse, where the title song picks up velocity once again. This ultimately leads to another chorus, which is followed by another bridge which is the fastest part of the whole track. After this, there is another instrumental section which is very reminiscent of the verses, but this serves as the passage way towards the final chorus. This is a song with a statement, claiming that DRUIDESS are not afraid to experiment and think outside of the box.
Mandragora is the fourth song on this album and is the shortest. It kicks off with yet another classic sounding riff before the vocals rapidly join in with the first verse. The chorus kicks in shortly after, and once more, the vocal and musical layering helps it seem larger than life which is always appreciated. This gets followed by the groovy second verse and irresistible chorus. At this point we get the first guitar solo of the record, and it is short yet incredibly effective, and suits the song, making it that much more enjoyable than the other songs that came before it. The song ends with the chorus once again after this epic solo, creating a satisfying end to what is one of the more courageous songs on Trip Meadow.
The album finishes off with The Forest Witch’s Daughter, which is a much needed faster paced song compared to the couple of tracks that are before it. The synths match the energetic guitar riff, before the vocals kick in, marking the introduction to a very rhythmic first verse. The chorus is very cinematic in both its sound and change in rhythm. After the chorus, there is another guitar solo, which despite being a rarity on this release, is always a very pleasant surprise when these moments appear. The second chorus here is on another level as it is slowed down to give it a BLACK SABBATH vibe, before it gets repeated in its normal version, the way it sounded the first time it appeared on this song. There is another short instrumental section, but this one is merely just a segue into the bridge which leads into the massive, concert level ending to this album.
This is a debut album which unlike most debut releases, it has an identity of its own. DRUIDESS clearly have in mind exactly what they want to sound like, and this record is proof. With that being said, because of this identity, the album at times sounds very one-dimensional and dull to listen to. This boils down to the song structure, as some of the tracks sound very similar, which is ultimately noticeable throughout. Identity is what most bands craft for years, and even though DRUIDESS have been active since 2022, they have crafted a debut record that has an recognisable sound of its own, which is something artists can not even master after releasing three or four separate releases. That says a lot about this young band, and it means just one thing. Over the years, they will carry the torch, and constantly improve, and may one day be considered as the UK’s torchbearers for the genre.
Rating: 6/10
Trip Meadow is set for release on June 26th via self-release.
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