Isenordal – Requiem for Eirênê (Review)

This is the third album from Isenordal, a doom metal band from the US.

Brought to us by members of Dead to a Dying World and Wilt, Requiem for Eirênê contains 56 minutes of expressive doom metal. Isenordal play a multifaceted style that combines elements of funeral doom, black metal, and neofolk. Requiem for Eirênê is an album that’s rich in evocative layers.

For a rough starting point, think of a mix of Crippled Black Phoenix, Wolves in the Throne Room, Dawnwalker, Soldat Hans, and Spectral Voice, to give you a loose idea of what Isenordal have to offer.

There’s a wealth of depth to explore across these five tracks. Four of the band members contribute vocals, and in addition to the standard instruments the music is enriched with keyboards, viola, cello, flute, and strings. A lot of ingredients and different influences have gone into the making of Requiem for Eirênê, but it’s successfully pulled off by a talented band in a cohesive way. All of the musical components work together to create music greater than the sum of its parts, providing the listener with a great tapestry of folk-laced blackened funeral doom to explore at length.

The textured songs are epic in length and scope, but with an emotive content that renders them more intimate than you might expect. Grandeur, mood-driven composition, darkened atmosphere, and bursts of aggression combine to build engaging soundscapes. These are shot through with key moments of light, beauty, and introspection, making for a very well-rounded and satisfying experience.

Requiem for Eirênê is immediately striking, yet it is at its most rewarding when given the time and attention it both needs and deserves. Isenordal have impressed with their well-crafted music, and if this sort of highly expressive and emotive doom is your thing, then you won’t want to miss exploring Requiem for Eirênê.