A couple of years ago I heard that Shaun Glass left Soil to pursue other options. Shortly after, I read that he started up his own band called Dirge. Having been a fan of Soil since Throttle Junkies, I was definitely curious to see what he had up his sleeve. So here it is, a few years and a “Within” later, Dirge Within emerge and unleash Force Fed Lies…one of the most exciting albums out this year.

“Self Medicate” starts this juggernaut off like an adrenaline shot to the heart. Immediately, I would compare Dirge Within’s sound to Skinlab meets Nothingface (sprinkled with Devildriver and Machine Head), so you know it’s sick, nasty heavy and will probably make Hot Topic kids run for their mommies. With thunderous drums and brutal guitars giving way to killer vocal runs and huge choruses, “Self Medicate” gives the listener a small taste of what’s to come.

Songs like “Forever The Martyr” really show off the Nothingface side of the band. With really cool fast verses that quickly shift to cool off-timed choruses and slammin’ bounce, Genske shows off his range and really shines on this track. He could definitely be the bastard child of Matt Holt (Nothingface), Steev Esquivel (Skinlab) and Dez Fafara (Devildriver)…you know, in some sick twisted medical experiment kinda way.

My favorite track on the album HAS to be “New Disease” because it could have come straight off of Machine Head’s Burn My Eyes. Eerie tones give way to egyption-esque solos that run you directly into the mouth of the beast. The song boasts big fat heavy grooves and nasty-as-hell harmonics that would even make Robb Flynn tear up. The verses sound like they could have come straight off of the Nothingface Violence album. This song is massive, nasty heavy and super groovy.

Genske really has a solid voice over Dirge Within’s absolutely brutal sound. With a lot of bands today, they have a great sound and a singer that either seems to get lost in the music or is overbearing and can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Genske isn’t that way at all. He leads this band with extreme intensity and malevolence. “As I Walk” is a perfect example of that, with brutal verses and almost Phil Anslemo-esque melodic choruses.

“Inhuman” could have been taken straight off of Skinlab’s Disembody the New Flesh a few years ago. So what does that mean for all you rookies out there? It means that if you’re in the pit when this song is played, prepare to donate blood and lots of it…because fat grooves and brutal heaviness are about to ensue.

I could go on for days about Force Fed Lies…seriously! This is the BEST album that I have heard all year and in a long time, by far. It’s really nice that Glass didn’t try to just re-create Soil for a buck. He went out and created an all new 4 headed monster that this metal world will have to deal with for many years to come. If you like heavy, then this cd is for you. It has all the elements of a perfect album…fast and brutal for a kick in the teeth, melodic when you need that metal smootch and groovier than Don Cornelius’ afro on Soul Train.

5.0/5