Dune Messiah – The Iron Oak

My first encounter with Copenhagen’s Dune Messiah was this April at a gig in Bischofswerda, Germany. Before that I’d only heard the name because friends from France had shared some of their music with me, but I honestly never really gave them a chance online.

Knowing that we would be sharing the same bill at the above mentioned gig, I waited patiently and boy, did they put on quite a show. Slightly regretting not picking up their LPs from the merch table, I’m now slowly coming back to their music to give it a proper listen and spread the word.

The Iron Oak is the first LP from Dune Messiah. It’s a moody and creepy mix of dark folk, post-punk and main songwriter Magnus Westergaard’s own twisted take on indie music. On the recording, Westergaard himself is the element that somehow dominates the music. His distinctive voice and acoustic guitar work are at the heart of Dune Messiah’s sound. His approach is minimalist yet heavy.

On record, Dune Messiah sound fragile, distant and cold. As they should. The lyrics are expansive, complex and visual, which fits perfectly with the music, which feels dense and emotional. Even with the basic concept of a voice and a guitar, Dune Messiah couldn’t really do without the solid pillars of a textured and noisy electric guitar and a hypnotic bass and rhythm section. Luckily, you get that, too. Knowing Dune Messiah for the emotional and top live show they gave on that rainy April evening in Bischofswerda, I expected (and would have gone for) a wilder and louder production, but the current sound of the LP does the job as well as the perfectly written music.

Definitely following this bunch in the future!