The 13 track album - titled The Abyssal Plain - takes listeners on a literal and metaphorical explorative trip to the darkest depths of the ocean. Their take on black metal is as abrasive and primeval as you would hope from a band that draws their biggest lyrical influences from the furthest reaches of the ocean floor, far from even the weakest tendrils of sunlight. Their stygian take on the genre is chaotic and suitably lo-fi, but on The Abyssal Plain, the oppressive cacophony is punctuated with synth-heavy interludes heavily inspired by 80s horror movie soundtracks (think John Carpenter and Dario Argento). Whilst this album is very much about the depths of the ocean and the alien creatures of the Abyssal plains that lie at the bottom of our seemingly mundane Earth, it is also about feeling alone in the darkness and still creating your own light. Being able to manufacture hope in a seemingly hopeless place - both for oneself and for the future of the planet. The Abyssal Plain was recorded in the band's home state of Iowa by Luke Tweedy, mixed and produced by Jaxon Vesely, and co-produced by DRYAD's Claire Nunez, before being mastered by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone. On their debut album, DRYAD have crafted an syntheses of sound.