Thrakian - The Way

Thrakian is a doom/sludge/post-metal band from the UK, who formed in 2022.  “The Way,” is their debut release.  Metallum lists it as an EP but with four songs that run over 30 minutes, this might be full-length.  Regardless of what it may or may not be, there is one thing it definitely is: a heavy but beautiful and mesmerizing release.

Featuring members of Pantheïst, I’m not surprised at all by this. Pantheïst’s Matt Strangis’ (who also has a project named Doubsower, who is definitely worth a listen) is on bass.  Atanas Kyurkchiev, also from Pantheïst,  provides vocals and guitars.  Rounding out the band is lead guitarist Kristiyan Peshev and Svetoslav Simeonov on drums. 

The music of “The Way,” seamlessly traverses across a multitude of genres. The filthy tones of sludge cover the rhythms with a heavy grit that is impossible to ignore.  The slower tempo and melancholic atmosphere of doom provide the perfect landscape for the music to expand inside of.  The layered textures of the post create some beautiful and moving passages as well.  All these ideas and approaches swirl together as one big sound—it is quite gripping and infectious.  

The production and mix are on point—all the ideas the band throws together can be heard without any strain on the ears and it just flows around you very well.  This is an album that demands an intimate experience through a decent pair of headphones.  Since it’s “just” four songs, I’m going to take a little dive into each one and, hopefully, explain to whoever reads this why I feel this album is so good.

The first song, “Labours of Insanity,” begins with despondent guitar melodies that live and thrive on top of a bed of pure rhythmic power.  The bass can be heard very well, offering a balanced performance that can be melodic or crushing.   I love the vocals—-intelligible but extreme, which is always the best way to go.   Listen to the guitar solo, rolling bass, and riffs at the 1:20 mark: this passage is absolutely gorgeous.  This is an album that builds worlds in my mind, their music the paint brush and my brain the canvas.  I love music that sparks my imagination and this song does that, as does the album as a whole.  The middle passage of clean instrumentation has an air of tragedy about it yet it's moving all the same.  The music slowly ascends back to a heavier style and its focused chaos, and the drums in particular, is just what the song needed.  Thrakian really knows how to give the songs what they need, when it is needed.

“Ancient Glory,” begins on a heavier note—these riffs are earth-moving.  The galloping notes around the 40 second mark that are interspersed by melodic riffs is so catchy.  At the 1:40 mark, the band leans heavy into its extreme metal side with raging drums and short, tight guitar crunches while the lead guitar builds up a wonderful atmosphere.  It all breaks at the 2:32 mark with a passage that it’s heavy and melodic in equal doses—-this sounds absolutely monumental.  My favorite part in the whole song begins at the halfway mark and runs all the way to the end at the 12-and-a-half-minute point.   These long passages begin with almost dreamy soundscapes that build up a slow, doomy dirge that, in turn, becomes a bulldozer of sweet, sweet riffs.

The title track is up next. The beginning is clean and melodic—it’s bittersweet to me, bringing out emotions that could make tears of joy or sadness.  Maybe both.  True to the album’s nature, the song throws in heavier elements gradually, leading up to a high energy performance with a ton of atmospheric as the guitars lock down big rhythms but also willing to shift into melancholic elements at the drop of a hat, such as the clean passage just after the two-minute mark.   This passage is gorgeous and cinematic—again, get some headphones and moments like this will swallow you whole.  The drums intelligently crash their way to the forefront, pushing the music back into a rumbling statement—the passage after the 4:48 minute mark is one of the most intense moments on the album—shattering sludge/doom.  

The final song, “In the Grips of Illusion,” begins a little psychedelic with the way the guitars sound against the bass.  This song is all about the groove—-and these grooves are as wide as the ocean.  This is, at least to me, the heaviest song on the album and it could even be called brutal in places.  But wait, there’s more!  The middle passage is spoken word, like poetry, with dreamy seas of clean instrumentation lifting them up.  The final two and a half minutes, the band goes for broke and takes all the elements across the album and blends them together in a final run that proves just how thought provoking and emotive metal can be. 

Thrakian’s “The Way,” is one hell of an impressive debut release.  I’ve no doubt they will continue to expand and build upon what is already a majestic sound.  I don’t see any reason why fans of heavy but atmospheric music wouldn’t want this album or to follow the band and (im)patiently wait for more music.  Highly recommended. 

Rating:  Excellent