ALBUM REVIEW: Dirges – And Now The Owls Are Smiling

While the tag depressive black metal is appropriate for the artists, succinctly describing the themes and emotions that go into an album. For the listener, it is often a misnomer. The outpouring of grief leads to catharsis. One-man Norfolk black metal band AND NOW THE OWLS ARE SMILING seems to understand this, not only through the music itself but with the subtitles he gives each of the Dirges. Running through from Grief to Ascension, the linear story of the album details the effects of depressions all the way through to the journey into the afterlife. Heavy stuff. Yet, Dirges provides relief to the listener. They are soaring moments in this album, which cut through the despair.

Grief opens to the sound of crashing waves, with a folkish lament layered over the top. If multi-instrumentalist Nre pays his dues to his black metal influences, he also acknowledges the traditional British music scene, adapting the mythology of folk songs to fit his sound. With Rejection, we enter a more classic blackened sound. Nre impresses with his musicianship, never dropping the ball regardless of whether he is screaming, tackling the guitar or drums, or adding layers of synth. There’s an epic feel to the track as well, with big harmonies working beneath the barrage of drums and guitar. It’s these elements that soar, even when the lyrics are so downbeat.

Darkness follows this pattern of fragility and harshness. Nre knows exactly when to give the listener a breather and Dirges is arguably far more interesting in these quiet moments. They allow him to highlight different song structures and incorporate more instruments and effects into his sound. This is clearer on Solitude, which starts with a guitar line and builds on it until it reaches this huge, atmospheric sound.

After the interlude Lucidity, Nre continues to develop the sound throughout Pointlessness, which adds a big, clean guitar line, running in the background of the chaos. In these moments, he sheds the ‘classic’ sound for something more akin to blackgaze. Acceptance slows the pace down, symbolising someone’s slow walk to the end. If one track encapsulated the themes of the album, it would be this. The atmosphere is overbearing. At the climax, Ascension offers a moment of peace. It’s reflective, for both the listener and for Nre; something beautiful coming out of the pain.

In a way that’s very much like Dirges itself. It’s a difficult listen, layers of unsettling atmosphere placed upon a familiar black metal sound. Yet, Nre is a great intelligence when it comes to structuring. He never overplays the emotions involved, never settles for something generic. Where so much depressive black metal can sound try-hard and edgy, AND NOW THE OWLS ARE SMILING sounds sincere.

Rating: 8/10

Dirges is out now via Clobber Records.

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