ALBUM REVIEW: Dipygus – Dipygus

If you have followed me for a while, you will know I have been a big fan of the first and second albums by this rather unusual Death Metal act called DIPYGUS. Now the time has come for their eponymous third album, presented by Crypt Of The Wizard (LP), Memento Mori (CD) and Headsplit Records (tape)…

Samples take us back into the prehistoric realms as monstrously heavy bass and thick, tarry guitars warp atop mountainous drumming. Hideously mangled vocals complete the sound, with a phenomenally brutish mix that allows every fetid element of their soundscape to be felt through the entire body. Visceral hooks and unique technical flourish blend oddity with primal ferocity, hammering a blunt force trauma before seeping strangeness can lurk into place. This is easily the most unusual and out-there stuff from Dipygus, that can be said from very early on. But more importantly, they have not lost any of their identity or that estranged yet classic feeling that the first two records presented so gloriously. Penetrating the rotten low end, we get some eerie lead work which counteracts the superb drumming, constantly awash with convulsing vile riffs. This crushing opus of barbarity is off to a magnificent start.

Putrefied snarls and instrumental savagery aside, the development in songwriting is bewildering with these inhuman elements and nostalgic synths tying the oeuvre of obliterating Death Metal into a singular, cinematic and yet unrelentingly brutal listen. The stench of the music conveys the mysterious period of antiquity the band theme their music around, allowing the primal and animalistic yet extravagant nature of their music to conjure the past to life. Pounding every skull in their path, this is not only the most developed and experimental but also the most intensely heavy record from Dipygus. Cutting the record in half with a cool interlude, we get a brief respite before launching back into annihilation. For each barbaric stomp, there is a clever solo or sense of atmospherics. Everything just feels so much more thought out, and while I adored the older stuff, there is a certain gratification in hearing a band one has written about since the beginning move forward without losing themselves in the process.

The natural ability to combine the urgency of death-thrashing madness with doomy and more cerebral moments ensures every track is exciting, gripping and unpredictable. Utilising the full instrumental range from the utterly visceral low-end and lacerating riffs to sepulchral leads, gargantuan vocals and mercilessly varied drumming; nobody can deny the truly impeccable execution here. Thankfully the triumphantly strong production and sublimely detailed cover art live up to the wondrous sounds delivered and give us a tremendously complete package. This is perfectly conveyed by the albums eleven minute epic “Sacral Brain” being sandwiched between two stunning instrumentals. Pure dynamic bliss ending in chaotic frenzy. It is rare a Death Metal band can use technicality so well without losing that simplistic, putrid urgency that the early 90s perfected but Dipygus do not fall victim to modern trappings in any sense. They purely play feral music from a forgotten age that must be experienced (although hopefully these adjective-rich descriptions make for interesting reading or I’m out of a job).

The past is alive. Death Metal concoctions of prehistoric life and cryptic monstrosities can be witnessed in all of their glory once more via Dipygus’ unique and yet tradition-soaked soundscapes on this phenomenal eponymous album. Blundering savagery and visionary exploration meet for a truly compelling adventure of extremity and history. Progressive and yet unpretentious (and yes, still old school), this is the timeless and yet groundbreaking breath of fresh air Death Metal needed to start 2024 with a bang. Embark with boldness, or be crushed by the sheer force of this album.