Dirge is a French band formed in 1994. From the industrial metal genre that exploded in the first part of the 90s, the band slowly evolved toward a more atmospheric and progressive form of metal, related to post-metal bands such as Neurosis, Isis, and Cult Of Luna.[1]
| Dirge | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Paris, France |
| Genres | Post-metal, Industrial metal, Doom metal, Sludge metal |
| Years active | 1994−present |
| Associated acts | Dither, Dub Wiser, Wide Open Cage, Kanaan |
| Website | dirge.fr |
| Members | |
| Marc T. Alain B. Christophe "Zomb" D. Stéphane L. Christian M. |
|
Contents |
Dirge was formed near Paris in 1994. The original band members were Marc T. (guitar / programming) and Laurent P. (vocals / programming). In the industrial genre of bands like Godflesh and Optimum Wound Profile, the duo's music was a hybrid of corrosive guitars, robotic hammerings, and scratching samples. Three demo tapes were recorded during this first period.
After the departure of Laurent, bass player David K. and guitarist Franck T. joined the band. This first change in the line-up coincided with a noisier and less electronic curve: dark, tortured, and dissonant, the first album Down, Last Level was released in 1998.
In 1999, Alain B. (drums) and Christophe "Zomb" D. (machines) joined the band. Re-humanized with the use of a real drum, the music of Dirge became much more massive and stifling, as the guitars became the center of gravity with the release of the second album Blight And Vision Below A Faded Sun (released in 2000 on the own band’s label, Blight Records). With this record, the band took "a further step toward a much heavier music with more progressive and dark compositions", as written by C. Lorentz in the book "Carnets Noirs, Acte II."[2]
Replacing Franck and David, Christian M. (bass) and guitarist Stéphane L. joined Dirge in 2001. Three years later, the third record, And Shall The Sky Descend, saw the light and presented a more psychedelic aspect of the band’s music. If heavy guitars stayed in the center of the four long pieces that had built ASTSD, the extremely slow-downed tempos, creeping samples, minimal parts, violin, didgeridoo and female vocals of Von Magnet’s Flore Magnet presented the result of four years of musical evolution.[3]
In November 2006, the band went back into the studio to record its fourth album, Wings Of Lead Over Dormant Seas.[4][5] Released one year later as a double CD set, it featured Kill The Thrill’s singer Nicolas Dick on two tracks and received a notable welcome from the press, Terrorizer's J. C. Santos summing up about WOLODS that "For once the word 'genius' is entirely appropriate".[6]
To this day, Dirge has toured with a wide array of bands, including Unsane, Earth, Cult Of Luna, Nasum, Kill The Thrill, Baroness, and Knut.