Album Notes

Album Review: Irony - Occasus: the Dawn of Despair
Category: Music
Album Review: Irony - Occasus: the Dawn of Despair

By: Travis Conquest


I am going to start off by saying that I am not a huge fan of Black Metal in general. Yes, I can get down on some of it, but by and far I am not a fan.

Irony is fit to change all of that for me. They may have actually converted me from the hard-line Death and Grind fanatic that I am to someone with a more broad taste.

I had a chance to sit down with the band and talk to the them a little about the new EP they are going into the studio to record this month, and they treated me to an advance live performance of the album, front to back.

I have to start by saying that all of these dudes have come a long damned way from their shitty beginnings on Callow. I've made it no secret that I used to openly mock these guys during their sets.

They've certainly made me eat my words. Practice has done them well, and they've worked hard to make a name and a sound that is all their own. Their riffs are tight, their drums are alive and brilliant, and their bass is deep and dark.

Occasus: the Dawn of Despair is breath-taking. If the boys can take the performance I heard and translate it to a live show, and a recording, I think you're going to be hearing good things about my friends in Irony.

Because they've achieved a sound of their own, it can be hard to place their influences. Certainly, I can hear a little of late Behemoth, Nachmystium, and tons of quality old-school Blackness. That being said, they have managed to move beyond the stage that grips so many Black Metal bands, and so many extreme metal bands in general; stagnancy. The tendency to regurgitate tried-and-true sounds and methods from previous eras.

Their new chops are reflected in their new swagger. You can sense a more poised and confident tone and their composure is more mature. In their live performance, you can see that they've worked hard to put everything where it belongs. There is no senseless wankery, and everything works together to build to an awesome conclusion, like any great piece of art.

There is no gimmickry, no boring breakdowns, no non-sense. This album will pick you up and kick your ass. It is one of the only great examples of Kitsap County's floundering extreme metal scene.

If you don't buy this album when it comes out, and if you don't make the effort to go see Irony live, you shouldn't consider yourself a Metalhead.

Summary: Excellent effort! I give it an A.

You can check out Irony at: http://www.myspace.com/ironygroup