Melodic Death Metal crew, Druparia, have released The River Above. The band’s debut full-length album is available to purchase/stream on Bandcamp!
“Creators and skilled peddlers of a technically devastating and often ferocious strain of melodic death metal, the Ohio quintet make countless brave and bold choices on their debut.” (8/10)
– Blabbermouth
“A monster debut album, and one of my favorite albums of the year.” (5/5)
– KNAC Radio
“What a phenomenal album this is!”
– Games, Brrraaains & A Headbanging-Life
“It is 11 songs worth of top notch songwriting.”
– Rustbelt Rock Review
“This one is definitely for fans of older material from The Black Dahlia Murder, Revocation and In Flames.” (8.5/10)
– Technical Music Review
“Tight counterpoint riffing and cheese-free melodicism.”
– Toilet ov Hell
“Druparia have brought together all their influences to make The River Above a highly energetic album with sharp melodies.”
– Acta Infernalis
“A commendable debut that firmly establishes their place in the evolving landscape of melodic death metal and metalcore.” (4/5)
– Metalunderground.at
“Respectable MeloDeath that feels both familiar and fresh.”
– Metal Eclipse Reviews
“A consistently strong first album.”
– Powermetal.de
“Druparia’s admiration for all eras of melodic death metal is showcased on their debut album, The River Above.”
– Heavy Music Headquarters
The River Above is chock full of riff-heavy melodic death metal, similar to Character- era Dark Tranquillity and Mors Principium Est, with the atmosphere and emotion of Insomnium and Darkest Hour.
The word “Druparia” is a pseudo-synonym for the blackthorn plant that plays a part in some circles of occultism and witchcraft, and fits into the band’s visual and lyrical themes of nature and mysticism. Other lyrical themes include sadness, regret, mythology, and perseverance through hardship.
FFO: Sylosis, The Absence, Light This City, Gates of Ishtar, and Skeletonwitch.
Track Listing:
1. Voiceless Regret
2. Under the Shade of Sand
3. Bereavement
4. Kintsugi
5. In Repose, Descend
6. Sever the Roots [Official Video]
7. The River Above
8. Of Firmament… And the Renewal
9. Bled For Comfort
10. When Cranes Return
11. The Violet Hour [The Civil Wars]*
Credits:
All Lyrics by David Moran except “Kintsugi” by Tyler Clark.
Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Dan Paddy at Blackroom Studios, Copley Ohio.
Cello and Strings by Christopher “Kakophonix” Brown.
Keyboard programming and backing vocals by Dan Paddy.
Cover Art by Mark Erskine (Erskine.designs).
Druparia Logo by Alex Zarko.
Photos by Lance Littlefield (Lancesphotos.com)
Layout and Design by Alex Yarborough (@dr_metal_design)
Copyright 2024 Druparia Music. “Voiceless Regret” is dedicated to DJ Sprague.
*All songs written by Druparia, Brendan King, Dan Paddy, and Jeff Spencer, except for “The Violet Hour,” owned by The Civil Wars and Sensibility Music.
Line-Up:
Tyler Clark: Guitars
Josh Gatka: Guitars
David Moran: Vocals
Kyle Lash-Taylor: Bass and Vocals
Noah Van Dyke: Drums and Percussion
BIO:
Druparia formed with members of past bands in the Cleveland area coming together to make new music. Ideas for The River Above have been brewing since about 2011, maybe even earlier and thanks to some gracious friends outside of the band who have contributed and allowed the ideas to live on, the songs have finally come to fruition. Tyler Clark (ex-Inoculation, Mythrias, Once Flesh) came together with old Apothean bandmate Kyle Taylor (ex-Monastery) who had found young drummer Noah Van Dyke (Sea Biscuit) in November 2018. Once Flesh vocalist David Moran had agreed to do vocals if ever a project was started and Druparia had begun. After a few rehearsals, Josh Gatka (ex-Mythrias, Eternal Legacy) was recruited as guitarist the following summer and a full lineup was formed and the band released their first demo entitled Alfhem in the spring of 2020.
Influences include but are not limited to Dark Tranquillity, Darkest Hour, Sylosis, Sacramentum, Insomnium, Fallujah, Mors Principium Est, Inferi, Children of Bodom, and whatever weirdness Noah happened to be listening to at the time.