Release
date: November 15th 2016. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD
Welcome
To The Hole – Tracklisting
1.Smoke
& Mirrors 04:43
2.Devil's
Switch 04:02
3.Crazy
Ants With Shotguns 03:42
4.Wine
Dick 04:51
5.K.J.O.M.P.M.
03:43
6.Fog
Horn 04:58
7.Waltz
Of The Iron Countess 05:20
8.A
Burning Sensation 03:49
Band
Members
Rus - drums
Klen - bass
Fitz - guitar
Review:
Today I’m gonna talk about the new
album by the instrumental sludge/stoner band from Varaždin
(Croatia), Drone Hunter. I follow these guys since their first
appearance with their self-titled album Drone Hunter (2013), a 42
minutes of heavy tuned riff. Drone Hunter make a style of simplicity,
having created their own sound by using only amps and instruments
with no unnecessary frills. Nothing to complain. This is the right
formula for a raw and dirty sound that goes straight to the chest.
After three years spent performing a
hundred shows and two European tours in Croatia, Bosnia &
Herzegovina, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic,
France, Belgium and the Netherlands, they are back with a new album
(Welcome To The Hole) that, objectively, displaces compared to their
debut. While Drone Hunter (the album) is characterized by a pure
sludge/metal oriented sound, in Welcome To The Hole the production
tends to favour the songwriting and not only the sounds. The global
listening greatly benefited and, although the album may appear less
‘swampy’, sound and attitude still remain devastating.
Mind you. In my opinion this does
not mean that one album prevails over the other but, simply, that
this power trio made a significant step forward towards a greater
awareness of their possibilities. Personally, I appreciate when a
band manages to innovate just enough to get out toward a professional
maturity, that is what I perceive before anything else in Welcome To
The Hole. In less than 40 minutes, Drone Hunter (the band) are able
to fuse different genres and styles in a unique, where emerge a
certain mastery in moving between bluesy riffs and metal outbursts.
Over the years and with only two albums, Drone Hunter have created
their unique style around which they have evolved, without getting
bogged down in the (unhealthy) idea to remain anchored to a genre
dictate.
Regardless of the genre, doing
instrumental music is always difficult, since the risk of being
little different and be boring is always around the corner. With
Welcome To The Hole, Drone Hunter have succeeded in the difficult
task of creating a really interesting album where ‘dead moments’
are really rare. It ranges from sweet acoustic intros that open to
outbursts stoner/blues riffage (the opener Smoke & Mirrors) to
moments of pure metal (K.J.O.M.P.M.), going through songs that
closely remind a perfect bluesy soundtrack (Crazy Ants With Shotgun).
When, years ago, I started following
this trio, I did it because intrigued by the name, thinking they were
something similar to Sunn O))). Luckily, they were not. Over the
years, Drone Hunter have shown how to handle genres and styles with
care, giving us a superb record. I also recommend to find their first
self-titled album, to test with your ears the true meaning of
evolving music.
Words
by Bruno Bellisario
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