Dialith is an Epic Symphonic Power Metal band from Danbury, Connecticut. Formed in 2015, Dialith made an impact with their 2019 debut album, Extinction Six. Blending Epic Orchestral arrangements with enrapturing Melodeath riffs, Dialith aims to breathe new life into the Symphonic Metal genre with tracks that draw inspiration from varied sources, from Death Metal to Pop music to Arabic and Celtic Folk music. Alter is the continuation of Dialith’s 2021 EP Atrophy, the second in what will be a trilogy of EPs that culminate in a full album. To accomplish these sounds, they use heavy riffing interlaced with delicate lead and fill work, heavy-handed bass, intricate drumming, and Simone Simons’ inspired vocals to craft a special alloy of Metal that is unique to them.

https://www.dialith.band

Band Members:

  • Krista Sion – Vocals
  • Alasdair Wallace Mackie – Guitars/Orchestration
  • Mark Grey – Bass/Irish Whistle
  • Cullen Mitchell – Drums

Release Date:

April 5, 2024

Self-Released

Tracklist:

  1. Writhing Red
  2. Ironbound
  3. Hourglass (Shadowdancer Pt. 1)
  4. Shadowdancer

Dialith is one of those bands that I think deserves so much more recognition than they currently have. The complexity of their compositions and the artistry of the performance is stunning. This entire EP is shorter than their epic closer to their debut LP, Extinction Six, yet somehow, they manage to pack so much into 13 minutes that it is almost impossible to unpack all of it.

Alter opens with “Withering Red,” a song that begins with Arabesque tones before going into a Sludgy riffed track with a dynamic rhythm. There are phrase shifts throughout the song giving a bit of Progressive Metal influence to the Symphonic/Melodic Metal base. Irish keyboards are laced through, taking the song in a new direction in places. Krista’s vocals jump and dive in an interesting pattern on alternating lines. The playfulness of the music underscores the seriousness of the subject matter. When a carousel becomes a battleground, the ride is over and the world is going to change.

“Ironbound” immediately lets you know this is happening from the first line, “Ironbound, With the whole world crashing down.” The guitar riff on this one is heavier, or at least sounds that way when coupled with what I think is a saxophone (please forgive me if I’m mistaken). I love the Jazz influences all over this album brought in by the wind instruments. The phrases they play add some interesting tension to the composition, creating musical turmoil to bolster the lyrical themes of battle and drama.

Moving on to “Hourglass (Shadowdancer Pt. 1),” the Arabesque influence comes back and sets the stage for the final track, “Shadowdancer.” At only 1:24, the song quickly hits the necessary tone to lead into the finale of this EP. “Shadowdancer” has, by far, my favorite riff on the album. Alasdair weaves this riff throughout the entire song and augments it with delicate leads and some excellent noodling. Krista’s spoken word paints with a different brush than her soaring head voice. Mark keeps everything together with Cullen, though Cullen has a slightly different job than just rhythm.

The complex. poly-rhythmic chaos that is Cullen’s drumming is a work of art. His ability to shift and twist phrases and patterns in real-time while never overrunning the song is such a delicate balance. When tied to Mark’s bass playing, which holds time, changes time, then flutters through a lead, only to return to a previous phrase from an earlier song, tying the whole album together is absolutely amazing.

Dialith is Epic Metal. They are Symphonic Metal. They add in Power, Progressive, and Melodic/Melodeath Metal as well. Then they bring in World Music and Jazz and Irish and even a bit of Sea Shanty. There are some bands that are just special, and Dialith is one of them. Since first hearing about this band two years ago, I have been completely infatuated with them. I was lucky enough to hear them live at Maryland Folk Metal Fest last year and cannot wait for the conclusion of this trilogy of Eps and the follow-on LP. Stay tuned for more!!!

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 10
  •             Rhythms – 10
  •             Vocals – 10
  • Songwriting – 10
  • Production – 10

Overall – 10.00