Following their breakout debut in June 2024, the four piece grunge-revival / alt-metal band Druidess returns with their sophomore album All You Are, released last Friday, 17 October. This album was promised to be a more refined version of their sound, an improvement of the raw, grainy songs on the debut. The Montreal-based band initially gained traction online through their works ‘Lavender’ and ‘I Don’t Know’, garnering them comparisons to the sounds of Nirvana, Superheaven, Alice in Chains, and Type O Negative; the band that gave Druidess their name. Admittedly, their influences were noticeable, however they still managed to keep their own sound throughout.
In this new record, they develop further on their own voice, while still creating the same atmosphere as their previous work. Dark, visceral and at times sludgy, the band remains incredibly solid and tight while simultaneously creating a hypnotic sound through their extensive use of 9th chords and Deftones-inspired melodies. However, many of the tracks seem to be a collection of riff ideas that are underdeveloped, with disjointed sections and vocal parts that sometimes swim around aimlessly. This could be a result of the pressure the band faced in keeping up the momentum that they gained with their initial release, with them rushing to release a song every month to keep listeners interested. Nevertheless, there are still some great highlights to the album: ‘Saved By You’, ‘Varsity’ and, a personal favourite, ‘Amber Ashes’, which features more structure, nostalgic-sounding riffs, and sing-along-able parts. Druidess is one of the few new bands blessed with the rare ability to create memorable melodies that loop around your head tirelessly the entire day.
Moreover, the production of this album has improved considerably from previous efforts. The meticulously-crafted dark and heavy guitar tone bleeds through the mix as it is punctuated by crisp drum sounds and a more clear-sounding vocals. However, the new sound seems slightly lacking in the raw, chaotic, unfiltered energy that made the previous record seem more alive. With slower tempos, less headbang-able riffs, and a shift of focus on softer, more love-based songs (with no particularly groundbreaking lyrics) rather than volatile angst, the new record seems to drag on and become slightly formulaic. Where Druidess previously created unpredictability through their use of samples and mix of different ideas from track to track, they now fall into the cliché of modern rock bands, where the album is marked by a few good songs with catchy melodies and great riffs but, as a whole, lacks substance.
“Guitar Study 2” by fmerenda is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.