Band:	Dirge
Album:	Hyperion
Style:	Atmospheric sludge metal
Release date:	March 14, 2014
Guest review by:	tea[m]ster

01. Circumpolaris
02. Floe
03. Venus Claws
04. Hyperion Under Glass
05. Filigree
06. Remanentie

I've been on the Dirge bandwagon ever since wondering how the hell can they top their last masterpiece. One could argue Hyperion is Elysian Magnetic Fields II but I have no problem with a band sticking to their trademark sound as long as it continues to be distinctive and interesting.

I consider Elysian Magnetic Fields to be one of the finest post/sludge/atmospheric metal albums of all time. I read a prefect quote about it at the time of its release: "A chilled out version of Rosetta" - and it's so true. Elysian Magnetic Fields has an impressive list of credentials: Long, droning metallic songs infused with flawless programming, keyboards and soundscapes. Not as hard or obliterating as Rosetta, instead it chugs along at a more mesmerizing and slower pace - doom metal is very much a part of Dirge's legacy - and has been delicately branded into their specific style of post metal since their inception in 1994.

This time around Dirge have incorporated some different aspects into their music. Songs such as "Filigree" and the sixteen minute marathon "Remanentie " welcome some industrial elements into the fray. Electronic percussion is a nice change of pace that works well with pristine hypnotic tones that carry much of the album. Clean vocals and female voice interchange with harsh, drowned out screams. All of these precise intricacies add a new level to Dirge's gentile mixture of light and heavy moments throughout the album. In fact, what makes Dirge so good at what they do is their ability to sync soothing and abrasive layers of ambient noise, feedback and distorted guitars into such a tremendous musical up taking about songs of despair and desolation.

Six songs clocking in at just over sixty minutes, lace up your shoes and get ready for a colossal undertaking as you march through this immense album. Thankfully, there are so many details to indulge in and Hyperion is worthy of multiple listens that will allow you to cherish every last second of it.

One negative for listeners may be the diligent pace of the album. If you can be content with the not so many ups and downs and overall lethargic gate of the songs, Hyperion will be a very rewarding listening experience and will introduce you to a whole new angle of dense and uncelestial brand of post metal. It isn't easy to dissect Hyperion's formula, but with some stream-lined deliberation you can feel the thoughtfulness that went into such an immersive album. A massive release like this requires intense attention to detail and I hope you join me on this expansive journey.