Always on the cusp of falling off the ledge in doing something more drastic with each release, the Ukraine's DRUDKH has truly pushed the envelope with their latest release, "Handful Of Stars". The band has always experimented far beyond the realm of Black/Pagan Metal, which has always been quite refreshing in the stagnant genre of said music. However, with "Handful Of Stars", the band might turn off their more hardcore fans en masse at first listen, as the release is a virtual night and day reversal from their previous offerings.

The traditional blackness harnessed within their trademark sound appears literally nowhere on the album (aside from the vocals). DRUDKH opted to lean much more toward the sound of GREEN CARNATION and AGOLLACH in that the bulk of the material on the album is clean, subtle bleakness harnessed by melodic and straightforward guitar strums. Virtually no distortion is heard on the guitars as the band instead chose to go the quasi-acoustic route, leaving much to be desired if the listener is looking for what he or she has grown accustomed to. The drums are well produced and the bass lines are well placed and abundant, but the bite of their previous offerings is inaudible.

While the album clearly brings forth a sound that is definitely DRUDKH, it is a drastic climate change from what fans of DRUDKH have grown accustomed to. However, that's not to say the release is a disappointment in the least; it's actually quite refreshing and, when listened to, even on the louder settings of one's stereo, it's quite serene and relaxing. After repeated listens it is clearly a DRUDKH release, but they've chosen to corral their more melodic and darker side and stir it all together for the capacity of the "Handful Of Stars".