Country: Italy
Genre: Atmospheric Folk/Black Metal
Release: 2026
For fans of: Saor, Autrest, Mossgiver
Review | Metal Territory
Four years after T.S.N.R.I. – Impermanenza, Duir return with Catarsi, an album that blends folk and black metal through a strong atmosphere and traditional instruments such as Irish flute, hurdy‑gurdy and bagpipes. The album tells the story of a soldier of World War I, across six tracks and 47 minutes of music. Without a lyrics sheet, the narrative isn’t clear, but the concept works as a strong backdrop for their style.
The strongest element of Catarsi is Duir’s ability to build rich, vivid layers of sound. The folk instruments aren’t merely decoration; they work as a natural extension of the guitars and drums, adding depth and colour. The result recalls Saor and Mossgiver, but with a more limited range than Impermanenza, which lets the album stay focused on the emotion and the setting of the story.
Though the aesthetic has a strong Celtic tinge, Catarsi sounds almost “homeless”, with a rural, rustic atmosphere that doesn’t tie to any specific region. TZ’s Irish flute and hurdy‑gurdy add wonderful melodic touches, while MK’s and Skryer’s guitars move between tremolo and sorrowful, slow phrases. Drummer P plays with balance: heavy rolls on “Di nessuno”, more restrained on “Manifesto”. Vox in Umbra delivers a harsh, emotional performance, with rasps that fit the folk‑black style. There is no bass, but it isn’t missed; the folk instruments fill the space a bass line would provide.
“Impeto” stands out with guest vocals from L.G., giving a change of pace in the middle of the album. “Della notte” has some of the most beautiful melodies, while “Oltre l’alba” closes with a strong emotional charge.
Despite the excellent performances, Catarsi has one weakness: uniformity. The tracks are beautiful, but they struggle to stand apart from one another. The guitars mostly move in tremolo or melancholy cadences, which limits the album’s available “shapes”. The folk instruments work more as details than as a central element, and this reduces the contrasts between tracks. Impermanenza had clearer thematic differences, whereas here the maturity of the songwriting isn’t matched by strong identities per track.
Even so, Catarsi has many moments that shine. The production (DR8) brings out the detail of the layers, the folk touches are wonderful, and each track works flawlessly on its own. It’s an album that will be loved by those who want atmosphere, emotion and folk‑black texture, even if it doesn’t have the most intense peaks.
Line‑up: TZ – Irish flute, hurdy‑gurdy MK – Guitars Skryer – Guitars P – Drums Vox in Umbra – Vocals Guest: L.G. – Vocals (“Impeto”)
Tracklist:
- Manifesto
- Di nessuno
- Impeto
- Della notte
- Del giorno
- Oltre l’alba
