London-based three-piece Urne announced themselves with the stylish Serpent & Spirit, one of the standout Metal debuts of 2021, and a gloriously dismal collection of songs that unashamedly paid homage to an influence of classic eighties Thrash Metal, mixed with an intriguing blend of traditional rock and melodic death metal. 

Tonally, their second album, A Feast On Sorrow (Candlelight), is far darker than their debut, and the sound production is a clear step up, having been enhanced by recording in Joe Duplantier’s (Gojira) Silver Cord Studio in New York, with Duplantier producing and working with engineers Johann Meyer and Ted Jensen (Fear Factory / Pantera), to perfect the sound in their own distinguished image. 

Urne creates a cathartic ambience with their music, delivered aggressively but also allowing the sound to meander with moments of uplifting melody, highlighted by a distinct switch in vocal delivery from singer/bassist Joe Nally. This is highlighted on the opener ‘The Flood Came Rushing In,’ where a Power Trip-esque blend of thrashing fury and hardcore style vox gives way to a chorus far closer in style to a more mainstream and dramatic act, like Muse. 

The seamless blend of heavier vocals with moments of clean singing was well established on Serpent & Spirit and continues throughout here, shown again in the eleven-minute epic ‘A Stumble of Words’ where Nally stretches his vocal chords to their very fullest while emulating a mean death-growl at times, before singing with a Classic Rock style at others. This particular song provides a thoroughly wild journey as it takes in everything from a Led Zeppelin influence to the classic metal sound of a Metallica or a Megadeth in one hell of a chugging instrumental section. 

Urne provides a distinct death/doom vibe on ‘To Die Twice,’ opening with an ominous ringing of church bells and a style which is evident again on ‘Becoming The Ocean’, a track that also features a particularly exquisite guitar solo from Angus Neyra, a fine player who chops away throughout the record flashing brilliant lead work again on both the title track and ‘The Burden,’ channelling an early Pantera-style riff to die for on that particular cut.

The record rounds off with ‘The Long Goodbye, Where Do the Memories Go?,’ another eleven-minute plus opus with a long instrumental opening eventually giving way to a sumptuous old-school thrash groove. The song gives its all as Urne places everything but the kitchen sink into the mix. Another BIG solo from Neyra, thunderous drumming and blast-beats from newcomer James Cook, and impassioned vocals in the style of from Nally, before the song subsides into a finale wrung from alternative rock influences and topped by clean singing as Nally repeats lyrics exploring the horror of struggling with dementia. 

With their sophomore release A Feast On Sorrow, Urne dives deeper into each of their musical inspirations to produce a mature and deeply textured companion piece to their first record, stretching beyond their debut, and continuing their growing trajectory in the UK’s vibrant metal scene.

Buy the album here:

https://urne1.bandcamp.com/album/a-feast-on-sorrow-clear-with-black-splatter-ltd-edition-signed

9 / 10

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