DORDEDUH - Dar de duh

As you know, Dordeduh is the new band of Hupogrammos and Sol Faur, former members of Negura Bunget. The reactions to their departure from the band were diverse and divided, but somehow the ones on their side were more in number and more articulate. I will not comment any further on this. I will only say that now we have two bands, each with its own path. Whatever happened, happened, and what will happen we’ll see in the future. So, without further ado, I’d say we should have a look at this record. 

The material titled Dar de duh is the first release of Dordeduh. A captivating incursion, perhaps a bit cumbersome in places for anyone who does not give this album proper attention (either for lack of interest, self-sufficiency or because they don’t resonate with the band’s music). Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion, as long as they back it up with arguments. Many will compare Dordeduh with Negura Bunget, more precisely with Negura Bunget and its classic line-up. Such comparisons cannot be overlooked, and it’s impossible to keep fans of the classic Negura Bunget from thinking about them, if the band really meant something to them. But somehow Dordeduh and the current Negura Bunget must be regarded separately. They must be seen separately because they are two different bands. Two good, but different bands. Dordeduh have their own identity and must be taken as such. They must be understood and appreciated for their own value and forget about comparisons that are best forgotten. Personally I like the ideas of Hupogrammos, Sol Faur and their new band colleagues. I appreciate that they have their own identity, that they try to bring forth themes related to the identity of the Romanian people, while managing to combine such themes with elements from other scenes, such as the Norwegian black metal scene or post rock elements. In places one can feel influences (desired or not) from bands such as Isis, Neurosis and the new Enslaved, without overshadowing or breaking the Dordeduh identity; they only complete it and flesh it out.

Perhaps some of the listeners or old fans of Negura Bunget will ask why it took three years for Dordeduh to release an album while Negura Bunget released two albums, a DVD and an EP in the same time. Well, if we look closer, one of the two albums (Maiestrit - 2010) is in fact a new interpretation of an older record (Maiastru sfetnic - 2000), and the DVD was shot with the classic line-up while opening for Paradise Lost in 2008 in Bucharest. If we take into account the EP Valea Omului released by Dordeduh in 2010, the score is 2 to 2 on really new material. And this is pleasing, I’d say, because both Negura Bunget’s 2010 Virstele Pamintului and this record are two of the best records released in Romania in the last years. But Dar De Duh would have no trouble making the top 5 of the best metal albums released in Romania since the early 90s.

Maybe some of what was said above did not have its place here, but I think it’s better this way. It’s better because anyone who likes to compare can weigh the two bands and try to become detached from comparisons for a few moments. Just let the music speak to you and understand its language. All it takes is a bit of detachment. Dar de duh is indeed a gift for the soul, a gift that must be appreciated for its true value. Briefly put, a feast of neo-folk, progressive metal, post rock and black metal. Get the record, close your eyes, listen to it and step, together with Dordeduh, on an unforgettable 80-minute journey.

H. Nota: 9