Crescendium – DRAC
Release Date: 11th November 2026
Label: Self-Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
FFO: Arch Enemy, Mors Principium EST.
Review By: Bryan Mayhem
A rebellious and angst-laden female-fronted act from Germany, Crescendium, is set to release the follow-up to their dynamic debut, Within. Circle the calendar, November 11, DRAC drops. A dismal and gritty concept record. Set against the backdrop of collective wounds from the past, “DRAC” tells the tale of a moving female journey through a repressive world. The atmosphere is drab, blending with a gloomy soundscape that plays in the death metal and black metal sandbox.
DRAC tackles your own inner turmoil and unleashes a wave of repression and agony. The musicianship is unmatched, and the vocals, a curdling and corrosive death scream, reek havoc on the listener. What is ugly is also beautiful. Crescendium toe that line from brutal and ugly to an alluring emotion that only Metal fans can understand.
Ravish My Flesh, Soil My Name is led by the stank face riffs that set the tone for the best song on the record. A toe-tapping but hellish chorus takes this song to a level that can’t be described with words. The goosebumps do all the talking!
Anderswelt is truly horrific in every sense of the word. A dark and morose opening, the howl of the vocals and the blitzkrieg black metal-like backing create a malevolent and hostile attitude. It’s a punishing and rewarding beating that doesn’t stop.
The technicality in Chandra does not go unnoticed. A thick breakdown, with pulse increasing beats deliver the final dagger in the listener. Halfway through you are lulled into a sense of melancholy until all hell breaks loose. The track ends in a blinding fury of trepidation.
A desolate and corrupt story, this concept record delivers many highs and many lows. DRAC needs to be absorbed in all of its glory. This record is not background music. It is not an album to do chores around the house with it in the background. There’s emotion that is emitted in every riff, every beat and lyric. Crescendium displays hostility and beauty in a way that only music can. Take the time, and explore this charismatic and awe-inspiring extreme metal record. It’s gripping, I promise that.
(3 / 5)
