Dirge - Dirge

Angry Metal Guy 70

Apparently, I’m the only one ’round these parts who gets excited to see the band Dirge in the same sentence as “post-metal.” I’m like, “they’re back, baby!” and I lose my goddamn mind. The French masterminds of such classics as Elysian Magnetic Fields and Wings of Lead Over Dormant Seas were a force to be reckoned with, but then I realize: this is the other Dirge, the one from India.¹ Oh. Okay. 2018 debut Ah Puch was an interesting beast, sludge riffs of ridiculously heavy proportions with Aztec and Mayan tales belted by the maniac at the mic, coined by the gone-but-unforgotten Muppet, as “a wicked good doom album.”

A self-titled album is a risk, especially for a somewhat generic name. It implies image and ownership: “this is quintessential Dirge,” even if we weren’t sure what this Mumbai five-piece stands for. While the Ah Puch Mesoamerican image is virtually absent, the trademark heaviness is back and better than ever, evident in opening track “Condemned.” Featuring a dichotomy of Amenra-esque scathing tremolo and older The Ocean-inspired brutish chugs, it sets the stage nicely for Dirge. The risk of a self-titled ultimately pays off, as the act’s sophomore effort balances the density of sludge with the dynamics of post-metal in four treks of bone-crushing weight and ominous melodicism, let down only by its similarity to other established acts.

Dirge goes by the old saying “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Taking after the scathing density of acts like Thou, the ebbing and flowing post-metal influences of Isis, stitched together with the ritualistic intensity of Amenra, Dirge flows from doomy intensity to epic atmospherics seamlessly. While the crash and burn in “Condemned” is commendable, “Malignant” and “Hollow” take it a step further, growing crescendos of majestic melodies and rhythms punctuated by crushing sludge riffs, its conclusion reeking of Oceanic textures. Meanwhile, “Grief” lives up to its bleaker name, a more subdued affair of darker intentions that reflects the void theme of the album, feeling a bit like a forgotten Mass. The crushing riff and its pinch harmonics and melodies are downright infectious, its conclusion furthermore balancing the razor’s edge between heart and heartless in its complex rhythms and wonky melodic interruptions: an easy highlight on a solid album. The center of the abyss “Hollow” proceeds to improve upon the emotional progressions of “Malignant,” a sort of stillness that hints at a beating heart beneath the tar-thick intensity and provides a breath after the land is laid to waste.

The call-and-response structure of Dirge offers an interesting dynamic. “Condemned” and “Grief” feature dark and ominous chord progressions with emphasis on moods like fury and hate, while “Malignant” and “Hollow” focus on the melancholic aftermath. While unique, as well as the “rings of crises” portrayed on its cover, the modes by which Dirge communicates its worldview is far from innovative. Channeling Thou-esque sludge density through post-metal’s songwriting in Isis, Neurosis, and The Ocean, with the ritualistic flavors of Amenra and Fall of Efrafa, Dirge is a solid album and statement from a band that can contribute to post-metal/sludge but does little to move it forward. There are times throughout “Condemned” and “Hollow” in particular that feel copied and pasted out of any number of the aforementioned acts’ catalogs. While certainly not a bad thing per se, it hinders Dirge’s memorability: will their sophomore effort stand the test of the year in comparison to other post-metal/sludge offerings? Time will tell.

Dirge’s self-titled pays off so mightily that I momentarily forgot they share a name with one of my favorite post-metal acts. While I respected Ah Puch for its intriguing premise, Dirge is more impressive for the music it provides rather than any concerns over lyrical content or image. The unique four-song structure of pummel-swoon-pummel-swoon is unique in its own way, giving the act the freedom to explore. While it still firmly falls under the shadow of the post-metal and sludge greats of yore, it nevertheless means Dirge, like its predecessor, is indeed “wicked good,” regardless of the expectations you bring into it.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 160 kbps mp3
Label: Immersive Sounds / Self-Released
Websites: facebook.com/DIRGE.India/ | dirgeindia.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: March 10th, 2023

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