rýr – dislodged
Release Date: 11th April 2025
Label: Moment of Collapse
Bandcamp
Genre: Post-Metal
FFO: Cult of Luna, Pelican, Sleep, Amenra.
Review By: Ceta
Instrumental metal is always hard to pull off. Despite all the people saying they’d rather have their metal without all that growling, in practice very few releases are totally instrumental. That’s the irony of vocalists in metal – they tend to be replaceable yet needed. However, bands like rýr clearly disagree with this vision and promise to deliver engaging post-metal without the need for someone shouting. Having said that, I want nothing but to like what dislodged has to offer in general. So, no huge prejudices to fight here!
Be prepared for long and contemplative intros because dislodged takes its time setting up an atmosphere that, in spite of its intrinsic hostility, feels rather relaxing and almost hypnotizing. The album doesn’t have many tracks – just a few long journeys that feel like going to the moon and back. However, I don’t want you to think this is something like stoner doom. There are remarkably few drug influences in this work, or at least in its sound. It has more of a Cult of Luna vibe than a Sleep one. And I think that’s positive, since that slower, more sluggish style would’ve been harder to translate into an interesting instrumental album.
All the tracks have their own unique sound explorations that sometimes take a lot from old The Ocean albums (but not the ultra-heavy ones). So yes, there are post-rock elements here that might even remind you of Pelican – if that band ever decided to go really heavy (which is a shame they never did). Luckily, we have bands like rýr to do that. However, there are a few things to keep in mind about this release.
As I said at the start, the intros are rather long and explore only a few ideas, which made me feel the need for a vocalist in some sections. It wasn’t terrible, but I could tell that after section A or B, some shouting could’ve fit perfectly. So, a bit of patience is required to enjoy this album. In fact, I’d say it’s an album to put in the background and sort of relax. It’s not the kind of post-metal that gives you existential anxiety, but rather sends you on a reflective trip – which we also need here and there.
So there’s an audience for this kind of work. Those of you who liked Vipassi not long ago should also get behind this album. But for those with more traditional tastes, you’ve been warned what to expect now!
(3.5 / 5)
