Lista de los grupos Atmospheric Sludge Dirge (FRA) Hyperion

Even though Parisian sludge group Dirge started about two decades ago, it's still going about its course. Combining elements of sludge, atmospheric, doom, progressive, and other genres, this quartet has put up a rather large discography over all these years. Along comes yet another full-length to join the collection entitled "Hyperion."

The best aspect of "Hyperion" would probably be its strong sense of atmosphere. The sound production gives the album a rather cinematic type of ambiance, thus making it sound more monstrous and enticing. It meshes in with the songs' sludgy heaviness very smoothly, so it doesn't compromise the music's power. Along with that, the sound effects and the way the music is played out establish even more of that resonance.

"Floe," for an example, sets the tone in this respect right from the get-go, opening with ambient sounds that invoke euphoria almost immediately, urging the listener to hear more of the song. Even "Hyperion Under Glass," opening with the Game Of Thrones* line 'Stars don't fall for men,' manages to do the same thing. This is especially impressive considering that using movie quotes in songs have lately become overused and cheesy, but it's utilized with grace here. Overall, the ambiance is a great part of what makes the album enjoyable.

With that said, however, the record's biggest detriment would probably be its speed. It's not by any means horrible, but there are times throughout "Hyperion" where the music sort of drags its heels. I understand that this is an album that is meant to be slow-paced for its environment to sink in, but even then, it takes this notion a bit too far sometimes. This gets to the point where the songs almost turn into background music as opposed to an entrancing album with a lot of atmosphere to it.

Aside from that flaw, though, the release still has plenty to make up for that pitfall. The vocals are great, consisting of half-roaring, half-singing that showcases the album's sludge side. This is helped with the inclusion of hypnotic female singing in "Venus Claws" that add even more ambiance to the mix. This is also helped by the guitar work, which is performed very nicely, dispensing a lot of provocative and sometimes spellbinding riffs that once again draw the line between heaviness and atmosphere.

"Hyperion" is a very good sludge album that combines ambiance with texture. Although it has a bad habit of being steadily-paced with minimal dynamic, the positive aspects of the record are enough to outweigh it. The band displayed some very intriguing ideas, and they take advantage of them with strong results, so fans of slow but provocative music can sink their teeth into it. It's not for everyone, but it's safe to say that Dirge has made a potent offering.


Originally posted on: http://metaljerky.blogspot.com/