Dirge - Lost Empyrean (2018)

Unleashing a crushing amalgamation of distorted guitars and powerful atmospheres, today we have France’s Dirge and their latest opus “Lost Empyrean”. Bordering in many genres like Slude, Doom, Post-Metal, this French outfit delivers a captivating release that is quite dense and engaging. For over 56 minutes and seven tracks, we are taken through dismal soundscapes that feel quite oppressive and showcase the band’s fresh and unique sound.

Opening with pummeling distorted guitars on “Wingless Multitudes”, the band’s wall of sound slowly builds up as the guitar layers pile up and craft a tense mood. Weaving back and forth between Amenra-esque moments and more traditional Doom passages, this track brilliantly blends into the next” “Hosea 8:7”. Masterfully maintaining the tension and overall ambiance, the mixture of clean and harsh vocals provides a nice layer to an already intricate mixture of sounds.

Slowly building into apocalyptic climaxes, tracks like “Algid Troy” and “The Burden of Almost”, fully unravel the band’s complex sound with demoralizing authority. Our favorite track is the brilliant album title song and it’s relentless riffing attacks, similar to bands like Neurosis. With perfectly timed progressions and tempo changes, the drumming nicely keeps things tight and very compact as we can hear on songs like “A Sea of Light”.

The closer “Sarracenia” leaves a lasting impression of the band’s merciless musical exploits. As a whole, “Lost Empyrean” is one hell of a heavy release that is best enjoyed on loud speakers and feeling the vibrations of its riffs. If you like music that is heavy riff focused and enjoy an oppressive atmosphere, you will be right at home with Dirge.

Label: Debemur Morti Productions

Release: December 14th, 2018

Genre: Atmospheric Sludge/Doom Metal

Country: France