Yes, I love when music lacerates heart and soul, when music goes under your skin in such way that you want to die. But you do not; you stay. Captivated, hypnotized, and listen. A cacophony of senses. No matter if you suffer from the world’s sorrow or from your own little tragedy, DIRGE offers you the perfect soundtrack to crush down, and to rise again like a phoenix from the ashes.
Almost four years passed by since DIRGE has released its excellent Wings Of Lead Over Dormant Seas. But it was worth waiting. With their fifth full-length Elysian Magnetic Fields  the French cats have excelled themselves, and got me into trouble rating them ;)
Stylistically they remain true to themselves and though everything’s different. DIRGE set much more value on details, work and experiment with sounds and samples, give more room to sound collages and create an atmosphere that couldn't be any more haunting and oppressive. Intensity to the max. But they do it in a very subtle way. It takes a couple of runs to get aware of the variety, even more to discover all these little details, finesses and sound pieces. And with every new run Elysian Magnetic Fields grows tremendously. Also the singing gets more emphasized, unfolds many facets and gains momentum while alternating between Marc and Stéphane. I really like it.
Talking about single tracks is a pointless venture. Elysian Magnetic Fields is like a drug and only works as a whole. The 10 minutes running title track is embedded between two instrumentals, whereas Sandstorm grows to an epic gem. Only Narconaut works as a short interlude. Morphée Rouge, Cocoon and Apogée are other over 10 minutes running and all destroying monoliths. No, there is no escape, and I actually don’t want to escape. Elysian Magnetic Fields is a monumental masterpiece of mental destruction. Definitely one of my personal highlights in 2011!