DUIR – Catharsis

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7.0

• Bands:
  DUIR
• Duration: 00:46:31
• Available from: 06/26/2026
• Label:

• AOP Records

In that niche at the crossroads between leaden folk and atmospheric black metal, nestle Duir, a quintet from Verona who releases their second long-distance work, “Catarsi”, for AOP Records.
The signing with the German label seems particularly appropriate to us, because, for shadowy sounds, woodland atmospheres and history that becomes existential torment, the basin in which the Venetians fish is the same as bands like Groza, Ellende, with something from Saor and Skyforger to enrich the blackest substratum; all groups with which ours have shared a lot, from the stages, to collaborations – LG of Ellende appears in “Impeto” – or recording studios (the album was mixed and mastered by PG of Groza), and to which ours seem to willingly look in terms of horizons and inspiration.

The three quarters of an hour of music are as sharp and merciless as the story they tell, that of a soldier at the front during the First World War: the war setting is nothing innovative now, but the Duir tackle it by skilfully mixing furious rides, very tight drum patterns, melodies, an excellent scream as sharp as ice, more absorbed connections of guitars and inserts of flutes, bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy; the latter, in particular, have an important role in giving back to songs like “DiNessun” or “Oltre L'Alba” the right dramatic, suffering guise, leading through the exhausting internal path, between trenches and bayonets, and at the same time contributing to building their epic nature, which is still anchored more to the pagan folk part of the genre (especially due to the type of instruments used).
The melodic sensitivity willingly comes to the surface in the aforementioned “Impeto” or in the long, initial “Manifesto”, among the best moments of the album because it is capable of alternating the various souls of the band, giving each of them the right breath and at the same time maintaining intact the feral, violent and tragic attitude that characterizes the entire work.
Even the use of the Italian language in the singing, for choice of words and sounds, is appreciable and in tune with the rest.

As the listens go by, a couple of episodes (“Della Notte” and “Del Giorno”) perhaps lose a bit of luster showing a slight tarnish, but in general the second album by the Veronese band is a good work, certainly with some aspects that can be improved – a certain repetitiveness in both the folk and melodic parts, a latent feeling of a 'handbrake' being applied, especially in terms of true inspiration – but with its own dignity that still makes you walk with your head held high.
While waiting to test their performance live (even if the neon colors with which their clothes are painted in the promotional photos leaves us vaguely disconcerted, especially in relation to the type of black metal played), we are convinced that, if they know how to work with chisel and chisel to dry out the songs a little, finding in the meantime the right perspective, in terms of personality, with which to filter the genre they belong to, Duir have all it takes to become a small 'case' within and beyond border.