DOOM^{or be doomed}

Ethereal Dirge - Warm the Globe review

Ethereal Dirge is a pretty interesting doom band coming out of California. I think a couple of good words to describe J. Christopher Springers' music would have to be melancholic and dreary. This is very good doom.

The first thing I'd like to say about Ethereal Dirge is that J. Christopher Springer knows how to write good music. His skill as a guitarist is greatly shown in the interesting riffs he writes. The riffs are usually somewhat repetitive, but they sound good and keep you interested. His tone and tuning also give the music a distinct heaviness, much like many death doom bands. The vocals are one of the only things that keep this from being death doom. The bass is also audible, as it should be in a doom band. From what can be heard, the bass is strong and adds to the overall heaviness of the demo. The keyboard is also of great important in the mix. The keyboard gives off the ambient feel to the music, and adds a dreary, mournful effect to the music. The drums are not emphasized a lot, but I think that is good because I'm sure they are programmed. The vocals are probably the most interesting part of the mix of sounds. They are usually distorted chants, and distorted yells. Sure, Ethereal Dirge isn't the first doom band to give vocals an effect, but this sure does sound good.

As I've been looking into it, the doom genre is alive and roaring with many good bands. Ethereal Dirge is an excellent project, and with that they give the genre another reason to listen to it. This music is melancholic, dreary, and down right the meaning of doom. It's in no way traditional, but innovation is important for musical genres as we all know. In short, I'd advise you to check this band out. You will not be disappointed.

By: M.D.