Dvne are a progressive sludge metal band from the UK and this is their second album.
Etemen Ænka is the 67-minute follow up to 2017’s immensely enjoyable Asheran, and a release I’ve been greatly anticipating. If you’re a fan of bands such as Sorxe, Mastodon, The Ocean, Isis, Minsk, Inter Arma, and Neurosis, then Etemen Ænka is an album for you. Maybe even THE album for you.
Dvne’s style is a wide-ranging multifaceted one. The band utilise elements of progressive, doom, sludge, and post-metal, using them to create textured metallic songs that take the listener on sci-fi journeys into the band’s imagination. With a breadth of material that covers everything from delicate shimmering beauty to raging tempests of destructive heaviness, Etemen Ænka is an album of variety and immersive depth.
Dvne are thunderously heavy, punctuated by moments of introspective calm. They’re layered with melodic accents and emotive colour. Post-metal’s build/release mechanic is well-represented among these songs, but realised in a progressive, sludgy framework that adds much dynamic value to the compositions. Keyboards and synths have been incorporated into the Dvne sound organically and effectively. Adding yet another layer of rich depth to frequently dense and intricate music, they help to increase the atmospheric components of the album to great effect.
The songs are well-crafted pieces, and demonstrate a fine mastery of the musical arts. Dvne are nothing if not talented. The composition of each track has obviously been well-considered and thought through, while still having had enough visceral impact and feeling injected into it to sound vibrant and vital. Each part of each song seems necessary to the whole, and also sounds like it has been purposefully selected for a specific role in the music, rather than just to fill a space between one moment and the next.
I can’t express how much I love bands like Dvne. This is a massively compelling and engaging experience, and an essential listen for anyone who’s into contemporary heavy music.
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