You Might’ve Missed This: Urne – A Feast on Sorrow

February 17, 2025

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Kane tested, ‘Taker approved.

For those who missed it, London-based trio Urne dropped one of 2023’s very best albums bar none with their sophomore effort, A Feast on Sorrow. Doesn’t matter the genre, classification or distinction, this record deserves your immediate attention. Released through Candlelight, this drop initially came to my attention at the time of its release in August 2023 (it is now early 2025 at the time of finishing this review). While reading through the blurb that comes with all forwards, I saw the term “masterpiece” thrown around. While at first I figured this was just a way of hyping up the release, here I write over a year and change later championing this record.

Sometimes keeping up with new releases feels very monotonous. Whether you are discussing the music, recommending it or simply listening and seeing what’s out there, after a while things feel very cut-and-paste. Music is a universal constant, these songs and artists join us as we grow and change, picking up responsibilities and going through our lives. Those important songs and bands always manage to stick with us, but through the crazy lives we all lead, say it’s burnout, priorities on other subjects, or simply getting behind on new releases, inevitably great music will fall through the cracks. After having a lot of time with this record as a recurring occurrence in my playlists, I can confidently say, you might’ve missed this one.

Urne grew as a spinoff of the stoner-rock group Hang the Bastard, and since their inception, they’ve been very busy deepening their sound and grinding out releases and touring. Officially forming in 2016, dropping their debut single, Dust Atlas, and ep, The Mountain of Gold, in 2018, full length debut, Serpent & Spirit, in 2021 and touring with the likes of Gojira, they’ve taken elements and influences from groups like Metallica, Mastodon, Death, and Alice in Chains and mixed them with with their own talent and ingenuity to create some truly fantastic material. With production by Gojira vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Joe Duplantier, 2023’s A Feast of Sorrow is a desolate yet beautiful combination of prog, thrash, metalcore, black metal, hardcore, sludge and other tones and textures to create one of the most well-conceived releases I’ve heard in ages.

While the band sounds like they could easily have 5 or 6 members present, they are in actuality a power trio. Sticking around from the Hang the Bastard-era of the group, Joe Nally (ex-1000 Sins) handles vocal and bass duties, while Angus Neyra serves on the guitar front. Urne’s original lineup was rounded out with drummer Richard Harris (Rich Wiltshire) playing on all their releases until 2022 when he departed the group. James Cook was brought in to fill out the lineup and their chemistry is undeniable. Cook and Nally complement each other brilliantly in the rhythm department while Neyra is an absolute treat to hear shredding.

From the beginning line of album opener “The Flood Came Rushing,” I knew I was in for not just an instrumentally heavy but equally weighted emotional experience. The thunderous and wailing cry of “Where do the memories go?!” is seared into my mind. It’s not just a line that commands attention and deeper thought but also is a relevant thematic element of the project. The noticeably hardcore-derived vocals really add to the frantic nature of the track—they strike a medium between harsh and melodic, neither overtaking the other. The sounds of Nally more align with the personification of anguished rage. Everything instrumentally fits like a glove. From Neyra’s chugs to Cook’s appropriate cymbal and kick usage with well-timed fills that accentuate this poignant piece. The unexpected and effective melodic chorus helps pack an emotional wallop. There is an especially aggressive post-solo movement. “Our Hearts will never be the same!” is another standout painful exclamation into an excellent guitar solo. The song keeps growing and twisting like an ancient leviathan emerging from the ocean. It warrants a longer runtime and takes advantage of it. The album’s opener might just be its best.

“To Die Twice” is a seamless transition from the first track, touting a more agitated vocal part, fully equipped with rampaging drums and scratchy guitar passages. In short it is wonderfully rage-filled. The production from Duplantier really brings out every scale and claw of the monstrous beast this track truly is. With thematic ties to the first song but with just enough intricacies and instrumental variation to keep things fresh, the ebb and flow of the bass laying between the soaring jagged guitar work and technically ripping drums is fantastic. The destructive ending of this number is absolutely chilling to the core, punctuated by the sonic embodiment of passing to another realm. This is what someone hears as they approach the light, rounded out by a beautiful melancholic acoustic finale.

The black metal-esque opening riff of “A Stumble of Words” is a brilliant lead-in from the last track. The symphonic guitar interplay with the hi-hat stick play to ritualistic tom patterns adds a unique flavor to this cut. This is an otherworldly piece of the album’s puzzle that is battered and bruised with an emerging groovy rhythmic thrashing. The chaos is technically composed, creating a classic metal sound but punctuated by the similarly pained hardcore shrieking of the first few tracks. Each member plays an integral part of shaping the miasma of the song. Drum fills for days, hellacious underlying bass and aura-radiating guitar. Nally’s prophetic, moaning vocals are caught trying to reach those still in the realm of the living. “That’s where we’ll meet again ” is a haunting line that causes the song to come to a halt. The acoustic elements return and awaken a cathartic emotional response from the listener. The other elements fold back in with a whispered vocal delivery. The goosebump-inducing passage gives way into a dark whimsical solo that trickles into the darkest portion of the track yet—like the protagonist has descended into a dark dimension and is confronted with their inverted inner self. The driving groove from the beginning returns and brings the affair full circle. This song is a well-rounded journey within the wider encompassing voyage that is the full project. The finale doesn’t feel like the absolute end, just another step in a greater expedition.

The second section of A Feast On Sorrow begins with “The Burden.” Setting itself apart with its own distinct groove, the punchy double kicks mimic the feeling of rising from the grave. A zombified revenant kept alive by pure fury and a desire to reclaim what was long lost. This track is jam-packed with furious drumming and rabid vocals. The way each track has a great buildup and an even more satisfying payoff by the end showcases the band’s ear for well-rounded, dynamic compositions. So far this album hasn’t missed in the slightest.

One of the most chaotic openings on the record is found on “Becoming the Ocean.” That guitar hook drew me right in and the drumming was the weighted anchor that dragged me below the water. Sonically embodying everything that’s happened in the album so far, the pained wailing backing vocals compound over both the instrumentals and melds with the lead vocals masterfully. Fully equipped with pained, harsh shrieks and dynamic drumming, this track is another bruiser. The rest of the song is punctuated by an incredible solo and effective false stops culminating by the end of the maddening journey, cementing itself as a mainstay of my playlists.

Title track “A Feast on Sorrow” is up next, opening with melancholic piano giving way to another all-consuming groove. From trudging, harsh grooves to maybe the best chorus of the whole album, this is another must add to anyone’s metal mix. The melodic interjections are sparsely used on the record and add so much when they unsheathe like a hidden dagger. This cut keeps the listener guessing, from the soloed riffing with scarce drums and whispered vocals into a truly chaotic interlude. This track is another high point of the record, truly something to behold. From prog-heads to hardcore kids to thrashers and beyond, this album has a universal appeal to seasoned heavy music veterans all the way to those looking to expand their taste into the heavier tones of the symphonic arts.

The final section of the record begins with “Peace.” This number is the sonic equivalent of rummaging through the ruins of a dark and defeated world. The question verbally exclaimed “where do we go from here?” serves as a super effective setup for the final track; this is the quintessential tone setter for the record’s climax.

Finally, we arrive at “The Long Goodbye/Where Do The Memories Go?” An early highlight of this piece is an impeccably done solo that the likes of Gary Moore, Chris Impellitteri and Malmsteen would be impressed by. Between the dynamic guitars and cymbal work, the atmosphere here is unmatched. Building on the chugging, driving groove, the vocals punch in and ensnare the listener. Furious drumming punctuations, fantastic fills and some of the best vocal work on the whole record lead to a d-beat mosh-inducing chorus and solo. Speedy drums, hair-raising riffage into a screeching vocal cutting interruption and splitting guitar interjection keep the listener on the edge of their seat. This track doesn’t just feel like the ending to the record but tying all the loose ends of every other song together perfectly. With it being the second 11-minute number, it feels like a fitting parallel to its predecessor. The fade-out around the 7-minute mark where everything drops with the exception of the guitar feels like we are entering into the true final moments of the album. I can’t praise the musicianship enough here. Sure, some people might find this album as pure flagellation at times but the band has the skills to back up the grandiose aspirations they aim to achieve here. The rest of the cut is a mix of harmonized guitar, building drums, and thrashing, apocalyptic soloing. With one last run through of the familiar whispered vocals into another dynamic guitar interlude adorned with great underlying bass, we enter the endgame. Drawing the project to a close, the charge is led by another ritualistic vocal part underlaid with screaming backing vocals, lulling the listener into oblivion. The perfect ending to a nearly perfect album.

A Feast On Sorrow is an album that will turn two years old in August 2025. The writing for this review began when the album came out. In a sense, through procrastination or getting more on your plate when you leave college and enter the workforce, this album has been a constant thought in the back of my mind in one way or another. The dimensions of this record are so intricate and well-crafted and as time goes by I find more meaning and reverence for the material here with each returning listen. This album has ignited a passion for me returning to albums that have dropped in the last few years that you might’ve missed, some great, some solid, some maybe you missed for good reason and I hope to dedicate some time this year for recounting them a few times a month here on Toilet Ov Hell. Stay on the lookout for more YMMT (You Might’ve Missed This) reviews in the future, and give Urne some much needed love. This is a hungry, vibrant and creative band that deserves your attention.

Top tracks: “Becoming the Ocean “, “A Stumble of Words “, “The Flood Came Rushing In “, “A Feast on Sorrow”, & “The Long Goodbye/Where Do the Memories Go?”