Album Review: Urne – A Feast On Sorrow (Candlelight Records)

London metal trio, Urne, will release their deeply personal second studio album, A Feast on Sorrow on August 11th 2023 via Candlelight Records. A Feast on Sorrow is a stark rumination on the grim inevitabilities of disease, dementia, and deterioration in old age, felt intimately by Urne frontman, Joe Nally.

One of, if not the most anticipated album releases of the year. Ever since their arrival on the scene with their phenomenal debut album ‘Serpent & Spirit’ in 2021, Urne have been going from strength to strength. The voices shouting about their quality are increasing in number and volume and based off this new record, they’re going to transform into a deafening cacophony.

Yes, Urne are back and they have done the impossible. Not just improving upon Serpent & Spirit, but by moving forward and sounding even more polished. This is Urne, and this is A Feast on Sorrow. One of the most immersive records you will hear all year. From the instrumental power, to the vast vocals, and incredibly powerful lyrical content (seriously, Urne’s lyrics on this album are on another level), this album delivers.

Few bands would start their new album off with something so big, but big is the word that encapsulates this entire record. The Flood Came Rushing In is an apt title as Urne hit with all the force of a tidal wave. It’s a wicked blend of frenetic chaos, progressive and head-banging groove, with a sullen temperament that sells the blunt honesty and reflective theme of the record.

With crashing dissonance, To Die Twice finds Urne reaching into darker depths and sounding particularly vicious. From the wandering riffs and aggressive drum beats, to the howls and roars of the vocals. This is a beast of a track that skulks around the mind, readying for an attack.

The first of two eleven-minute tracks, Urne push their creativity to a new level on A Stumble of Words. It can be called complex, elaborate, intense, strident, imaginative, devious, soul-rendering, and so much more, and still, what this track offers won’t be clear. It’s Urne at their most expansive sounding, a study in heavy metal structure and gob-smacking lyric writing, up there with the very best of what they’ve done before.

The personal focus of the record is ever prominent as the meaty head-banger that is The Burden arrives to freshen up the palate. That familiar Urne groove and powerful heavy rhythm is present, but this is a darker beast too. One that just happens to feature a monumental guitar solo. Then there is Becoming the Ocean. A track that is fast, frantic, and deeply emotional. The harmonised vocal sections are stunning. This is a chance to let yourself go and just head-bang until the tears flow.

It doesn’t get much better than this. Urne have had to suffer to give us this, and we can all be so very grateful for their honesty and talent. Yet, they’re not quite done expressing themselves in unforgettable ways. Firstly, there is the title track and a pretty piano melody introduction. Hold on though as when this one hits, it hits freaking hard. Chuggy, chunky, and coarse. It’s Urne at their heaviest sounding.

Then there is Peace, a very short melodic song that will make your heart ache. It serves as an introductory piece for The Long Goodbye/Where Do the Memories Go? The finale, the second eleven-minute effort, and the grandest track of them all. A Feast on Sorrow may have started with an epic, but it ends with something even bigger.

Once you’ve gotten over the shock of the dazzling instrumental introduction, Urne set about defying any and all expectations listeners have of them. Producing what might be their magnum opus, it leaves you feeling absolutely exhausted but desperate to hear it again, and again, and again, and again. Words can’t do this track, or album, justice. Listen to it and be prepared to feel.

One of the best bands in the world. A Feast on Sorrow is a triumphant release.

Urne – A Feast on Sorrow Track Listing:

1. The Flood Came Rushing In
2. To Die Twice
3. A Stumble of Words
4. The Burden
5. Becoming The Ocean
6. A Feast on Sorrow
7. Peace
8. The Long Goodbye/Where Do the Memories Go?

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