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I have not followed Drudkh much in recent years – in fact I don't think I had heard anything post-Autumn Aurora before giving this new one a listen. Handful of Stars is not your average Black Metal album – at least nothing like what I've been listening to in the genre in the past few months. I guess the best one-word description is: soothing. Well, for metalheads anyway. ;)

You get the expected Black Metal vocals – harsh rasps and screeches, but the music itself is actually pretty relaxing. Slow to mid-paced, very melodic and with atmosphere to boot. The atmosphere is a mix of "happiness" (for lack of a better word) and depression that I guess you could say just adapts to your mood. It's a bit monotonous overall, but in a good way. Just put the album on and just let it entrance you.

Handful of Stars is the kind of album that you can only listen to when you are in the right mood – that you may love one day and hate the other. For a listen on a slow, depressing autumn day, this is hard to beat.