I write music reviews as a last bastion in the desperate hope of helping great music find people who will love it. When I heard the first note of Existence/Futility by Dimscûa my mind began binding their music to words and feelings and I abandoned work to start sending the track to everyone I know who likes post-metal. Now with the release of all four tracks on Dust Eater I am going a step further to write this and plead, if you like any of Amenra, Cult of Luna, Hundred Year Old Man or Codespeaker then you need to get this in your ears, you need to hear this, you will not be disappointed.
As with all those legendary names Dimscûa weld together a musicianship and vocal delivery that drips with atmosphere, passion and expression. The impact can be emotionally devastating, uplifting and transcendental even without knowing the purpose or meaning behind it. As it transpires the longtime friends had been creating music together for a few years but in the midst of that guitarist/bassist Adam Train, who also mixed, mastered and produced the release, experienced the death of his daughter. With that added context this release becomes even more extraordinary.
The grief and pain of such a loss is compounded in the fabric of the release. Hitting that post-metal sweet spot between seven and ten minutes, the four tracks offer up a variety of levels of ferociousness and space. ‘Elder Bairn’ and ‘The Dust Eater’ has a galactic sense of coldness and an immense weight to its louder sections. When the wave crashes it’s the heft of the full band that comes through the speakers and you get the sense of devastation that Hundred Year Old Man so regularly serves up. ‘Existence/Futility’ is simply one of the finest post-metal tracks I have heard this year, while closer ‘On Being and Nothingness’ even strays into Devil Sold His Soul anthemic and cathartic sounds in a wondrous summation of the songs before.
Dust Eater has everything I like in heavier music. The pain, loss and grief expressed through powerful and emotive post-metal with post-hardcore leanings. Massive walls of sound which drive straight through the heart of the release, peaks, plateaus and crescendos. Just playing these four tracks causes a mental and physical response in me that only the best in the genre have achieved. Dimscûa have created something truly special and I can’t recommend it enough.
