Album review: Urne – A Feast on Sorrow

By DAN SOUTHALL

URNE is a three piece from the UK who began making waves in 2021 with their debut album. Managing to mix doom, sludge and the best parts of modern metalcore proved a blend that helped them stand out from the noise around them.

Wasting no time getting into it, ‘The Flood Came Rushing In’ instantly shows off all of the elements on which the band have built their early reputation. Soaring guitars and personal lyrics (more on that in a minute) all combine into a thrashing great introduction to a sorrowful yet uplifting album.

This is one of those genuinely rare beasts, built so heavily on personal experience the emotion can be felt coming through the speakers, carrying a weight all its own. Feast on Sorrow is built on the very personal experience of vocalist Joe Nally watching one of his family slowly decay with dementia, and the personal toll that has taken.

This pain is writ large from the opening lyrical outburst of “Where Do The Memories Go!?” to the forlorn musical soundscape of “A Stumble of Words” as it ebbs and flows while those lost memories no doubt come and go. The music reaches further than on their previous release, in parts helped by Joe Duplantier’s (Gojira) production and input on the album.

Every part comes together but it isn’t until the final two tracks where the puzzle pieces firmly click together for those who may have missed it. The short instrumental interlude “Peace” as the beginning of the end of the journey flows seamlessly into ‘The Long Goodbye/Where Do The Memories Go?’ that puts the pain of the album’s lyrical content to comfortable rest through its 11 minute runtime.

An album that really needs to be heard to be understood, A Feast on Sorrow examines the puzzle of human fragility and all we hold dear together with a heartbreaking score.