If 2021’s Serpent & Spirit rightly sent ripples through the post metal world, then the sophomore album from London trio Urne should shake the very foundations. It’s a deeply personal release, acutely focused on experiences that frontman Joe Nally has shouldered in recent times.
There’s little to cheer here. A reflection on the march of time, the inevitable diseases of old age, of dementia and deterioration, wrapped up in Urne’s angular, challenging confrontational approach. The riffs are thick, sludgy, heavy. Nally’s vocal delivery fiery, aggressive, dripping with anger that rips through each song with such acerbic delivery that even if you don’t catch every word, you certainly feel the venom that is spat through those speakers.
Whilst the album is dark, there were moments of light in the recording of the release. Not least, the invitation from Gojira’s Joe Duplantier to record at his Silver Cord Studio in New York. Nally is pinching himself a little. “Having the honour to travel to New York to work alongside Joe Duplantier and Johann Meyer on this record is something we didn’t think would be possible and, on top of that, to have Ted Jensen master this record, has been an experience we once dreamed of”. Alongside Nally, guitarist Angus Neyra and drummer James Cook put in stellar performances. There’s an intensity few can capture in the opening salvos of “The Flood Came Rushing In” and the slightly shorter “To Die Twice”. It’s a beautiful yet horrifying cascade of punishing, angular metal that sits outside of any specific genre. You can feel the emotion surging like electricity through the record, something that is captured by those feelings of Nally. “Losing people is a horrible thing; when the reality hits, it shocks. I was full of pent-up emotion – anger, confusion – and I could only seem to release that through aggression. This is much darker. There were quite a few ‘fun’ elements to our first LP Serpent & Spirit. There aren’t many of those here.”
As you read through the track listing, you observe a direction, a process if you will, as life changes and deteriorates. Most of us with older family will recognise the topics. “A Stumble of Words”, one of two 11-minute tracks here, provides a breath taking backdrop to the subject matter. Nally screams and roars, the thunder ceases, and calm is briefly installed. It resonates deeply as it completes its passage.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
This isn’t an album for easy listening. It’s deep, with huge, blistering parts that switch from full on brutality to calmer, more gentle elements in an instant. And it’s underpinned by a blinding delivery that rarely eases. Its power is stunning. Take the unstoppable pounding that Urne generate on “The Burden”. It’s a no-nonsense aural assault, that blends styles in a majestic central pillar of the album, alongside the hammer shock delivery of “Becoming the Ocean”.
The variation, despite the savagery, lurks close to the surface. The piano intro to the title track is quirky, and quickly gives way to a concrete smashing riff that simply levels. The despair that emanates from the speakers is crushing, the emotion coming in waves. There are even elements of Machine Head buried in here. Something that may be completely unintentional.
It all leads to the epic finale – the second 11-minute track, “The Longer Goodbye/Where Do the Memories Go”. It’s a huge track, with a delicious melody buried deep within the soul, and a semi-Metallica feel that is both surprising and welcome. Has Nally exorcised his pain? “The personal story I’m telling in this album is still ongoing, but it feels like I’ve been able to say what I needed to say,” he says. “It was an incredibly cathartic experience to be able to write this album, to scream it, to hear it back. I’ve got my emotions out. I’ve got my meaning out. I’ve got my message out. What I needed to do is done”.
Will Urne translate to the main stage at Bloodstock on a Saturday lunch time? It’s hard to say. Their music fits better in a dark, dank environment. But that won’t stop me being there to witness the next moment in the band’s journey.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
A Feast on Sorrow is out on August 11th
Check out all the bands we review in 2023 on our Spotify and YouTube playlists!
Urne: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube
