Oh look! It’s another one man Black Metal band and this time, the ‘kvlt’ act calls the USA home. So what can you expect from a solo effort in this genre? History tells us that we should prepare ourselves for raw, under-produced Black Metal but that is so far of the mark. What SATANIC DIRGE can only be described as is Experimental Black Metal that has several Progressive elements but the inclusion of unconventional instruments and even more uncommon song structures which appear to be rather unorganised, suggests otherwise. However, “Tribulation” is one of those albums that grows on you with each listen and like all great albums, each spin bears a new discovery. There are too many things to pay attention to on this release, not to say that is over crowded like late EMPEROR, but instead, you find yourself focusing on one instrument over the rest.

Jam packed with variety, no two tracks sound similar on “Tribulation”. The opening track, “Venom” begins with some spooky keyboard passages before the cannon fodder of guitars, shrieks and kick drums shatter the calming atmosphere. Cluttered and appearing too fast in sections, most people would be turned off by the obvious mismatch between the two paces of the song. The track that towers above the others is “Epitaph” which is driven by an organ. The SANTANA-like solo adds more depth to the already thick atmosphere and although being one of the slower tracks on the album, “Epitaph” continues to linger in your head long after the track has ended. The final track on this album, “Chaos” is a 15 minute masterpiece and SATANIC DIRGE’s Progressiveness is clearly heard.

Impressed by the experimentation, the experience that is SATANIC DIRGE is by no means something that I have heard before. ENSLAVED’s “Below The Lights” is the only comparable release that shares some overlap with “Tribulation”. With a record deal in the mix, the outlook for this one man band appears to be rather good and I hope Wight can improve upon this album by reducing the contrasting speeds found in some of the songs.

(Online August 24, 2007)