In a career defined by some of death metal’s most infernal and enduring moments, Dirges of Elysium finds Incantation leaning deeper into the ominous and oppressive atmospheres they've long mastered. Released just two years after Vanquish in Vengeance, this 2014 full-length marks one of the band’s most cohesive efforts of the 21st century—a suffocating blend of rotting death and monolithic doom.
Rather than chasing innovation for its own sake, Incantation remain confidently entrenched in their signature sound—one forged in gloom, dissonance, and unrelenting decay. Yet, there's something refined here. The tempos often slow to a crawl, allowing the riffs to sprawl like creeping tendrils through a subterranean crypt. Tracks like “Carrion Prophecy” and “From a Glaciate Womb” thrive in this slow-motion agony, proving that Incantation’s death/doom instincts are as sharp and convincing as ever. When the band accelerates—on “Impalement of Divinity” or the thunderous “Debauchery”—the contrast is stark and brutal, a reminder that Incantation can still summon chaos when needed.
Production-wise, Dirges of Elysium is modern but not sterile. The guitar tone is rich and grimy, drenched in decay without sacrificing clarity. John McEntee’s vocals remain a force of nature—an elemental growl that sounds excavated from the Earth’s core—and Kyle Severn’s drumming is deliberate, weighty, and atmospheric, perfectly matching the album’s measured pace.
The closing epic “Elysium (Eternity is Nigh)” may test the listener’s endurance with its 16-minute sprawl, but even here, the band commits to the descent, building an oppressive, dirge-like monument to suffering and inevitability. Whether or not it lands as effectively as its predecessor’s “Legion of Dis,” it reinforces Incantation’s unwillingness to pander or rush the ritual.
More than three decades in, Incantation show no signs of softening their approach. Dirges of Elysium is not flashy or trend-chasing—it's raw, rotting, and unmistakably Incantation. A testament to the band’s consistency, it stands as a formidable slab of death metal from veterans who know exactly how to wield decay with purpose and conviction.
