“Black metal transmuted: a seamless descent into sonic alchemy”
The founder of The Dead Dirt breaks with tradition. In a flood of albums that continually repeat the same thing, the Belgian Xavier De Schuyter (Nihil) shows that it’s possible to present different musical styles that seamlessly intertwine with black metal.
There are albums that reinterpret genre. Weird doesn’t. It transmutes black metal—chemically, spiritually, structurally—into something far more volatile and strangely elegant. The Dead Dirt doesn’t pay homage to tradition; it corrodes it, distilling its essence into a form that’s both ritualistic and unexpectedly listenable.
This is not a clash of styles—it’s a fusion so seamless it feels elemental. Ambient textures, industrial pulses, a bit of soft punk rock, gothic in “Staged”and post-metal introspection bleed into tremolo riffs and blast beats without fracture. Clean vocals don’t merely precede harsh ones—they coexist, intertwine, and amplify the emotional dissonance. The result is a sonic landscape where decay becomes design, and aggression is tempered by atmosphere.
The track “House of Rain” sets the tone for this sonic metamorphosis. It opens with clean vocals that carry a sense of vulnerability, almost meditative in their delivery. But rather than serving as a prelude to aggression, these vocals remain present even as harsh vocals erupt alongside them. The coexistence of both styles—clean and harsh—creates a layered emotional texture, like two conflicting inner voices bleeding through the same wound. The transition isn’t abrupt; it’s fluid, almost ritualistic. The track builds gradually, fusing ambient melancholy with blackened intensity in a way that feels both deliberate and organic.
Technically, Weird is a masterclass in controlled erosion. The lo-fi production isn’t just aesthetic—it’s functional. It blurs the edges between genres, allowing post-metal atmospheres to bleed into blackened aggression, and letting moments of near-silence carry as much weight as blast beats. The result is a listening experience that feels ritualistic, yet strangely accessible.
All nine tracks are unique and delightfully enjoyable. I’ll pick a few that touched me deeply: “House of Rain”, “Sunshine in the Guillotine”, “Silent End”, and “Staged.”
This is black metal for those who crave texture over tradition, emotion over orthodoxy. Weird doesn’t echo the genre’s past—It’s not more of the same; it’s a deliberate mutation. Each track offers a distinct emotional contour, yet the album remains cohesive—proof that experimentation need not sacrifice identity. Weird is not just original; it’s singular. And it demands to be felt as much as heard.
Superb debut full-length!
BLACK METAL CULT 