Dordeduh - Dar De Duh - guest review
Dordeduh - Dar De Duh - guest review
Tracklist
Disc I01. Jind De Tronuri
02. Flăcărarii
03. E-an-na
04. Calea Rotilor De Foc
05. Pândarul
06. Zuh
07. Cumpăt
08. Dojana
Disc II [digipak bonus]
01. Zuh - Cu Tunetul Muntilor
02. Cumpat
03. Ruun [Enslaved cover]
Disc III [bonus DVD]
+ Interview feature & making of
Guest review by
Auntie Sahar November 21, 2012
Dar De Duh is inevitably going to be compared to Negură Bunget's magnum opus, 2006's Om, so I'll use that album as the primary comparison between the two bands, since the question of "how do Dordeduh match up?" is likely on everyone's mind. To put it simply, Dar De Duh isn't as sharply composed, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Whereas Om was a little more compact in its songwriting (sticking to a distinctly single "sound" per track), Dar De Duh is a bit more spaced out. Dordeduh make this clearest perhaps with the opening track, "Jind De Tronuri," a 16-minute epic that plunges the listener into an intricate blend of an eerie ambient intro, a classic black metal guitar tone, native percussion at around 3:45, and then an intense mix of keyboards, dulcimer, and Romanian chants towards the song's latter half (see around the 14-minute mark).
The other thing is that where Om struck more of a 50/50 balance between its black metal and folk elements, Dar De Duh leans more towards the folk side of the equation. This is not to say that Dordeduh don't on occasion get into the traditional black metal sound we all know and love (see "Flacararii" and "Calea Rotilor De Foc"), but for the most part on this album the band seem to be much more focused with expanding upon the incorporation of their native Romanian sounds into their music. "Dojana" and the magnificently-crafted "E-an-na," for example, contain almost no black metal elements whatsoever, and on the tracks that do contain black metal undertones, Dordeduh (like Enslaved) later accentuate such undertones with additional progressive, folklorish elements. For example, the shrieks and lo-fi guitars on "Calea Rotilor De Foc" are later accompanied by a flute at about 4 1/2 minutes in.
So is Dar De Duh as good as Om? In all honestly, it's a pretty useless question, because the two albums, while having a similar core sound, are quite different in their composition. On Om, Negură Bunget seemed to be saying "let's just show them a different technique per track," whereas on Dar De Duh, Dordeduh seem to be going for a much less humble approach, saying something like "let's just blow their minds by cramming ALL of our techniques into single tracks." At times, this technique can seem very overwhelming, especially on "Jind De Tronuri," the titan of an opening track. This is really the only complaint I can see people having with the album: that it's simply too much to listen to, and in that case, if you prefer more straightforward metal that is easier to digest, Dar De Duh may not be the album for you. But if you enjoyed Om and are armed with a willingness to listen to an album that takes a few listens to entirely comprehend its theme, then give Dar De Duh a spin. You will not regret it.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Auntie Sahar | November 21, 2012
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments:
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| Fredd
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Fredd
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I agree with this review. One of the few albums this year that deserve a 9. Good job, Pagan Idolatry. 
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Great read and a very nice album. I agree about them packing a lot of stuff into it but the track lengths give them more than enough time to flesh them out. Perhaps a bit too much time actually.
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I haven't gotten around to listen to this album properly yet but that will most likely change soon thanks to this well written review.
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Posts: 2799
Loved the introduction, great review. Dordeduh blew my mind and still does with every spin.
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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Posts: 5989 Written by DavidAdamMeredith on 22.11.2012 at 03:52 I can definitely see it being high up there for some people, and that's really saying a lot, because there have been tons of great albums put out this year, especially in the black metal camp (A Forest Of Stars, Enslaved, Blut Aus Nord, Nachtmystium, etc)
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Amusingly from my perspective neither of the split remnants of Negura Bunget have lived up to Om. then again, i don't think it would have mattered if they had stuck together, they still wouldn't likely have lived up to Om. good album, but had near impossible standards to live up to.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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Posts: 5989 Written by BitterCOld on 28.11.2012 at 05:26 A fair point, but as you said: it's still a pretty excellent effort for what it is
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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