Forming in Oklahoma City, Idre are a melancholic, earthy and hypnotic entity. The former trio (now duo for the time being due to bassist Andon Whitehorn recently taking his leave of the band) are a delicious entry into the atmospheric sphere and their sound is quite difficult to pin down. Taking in elements of doom, sludge, drone and noise, even a martial beat (Nicholas Wojcik) during second track “Witch Trial”, Idre travel the path towards oblivion in many different ways yet their gloomy aura is coherent and each passage moves deftly into the next without losing track of the core of the band.

Vocals are sparse but delightfully gothic in tone with guitarist Ryan Davis adding a new sphere of darkness to proceedings with the recordings on this two track full length taking on a somewhat doomed country feeling at times – think True Widow or Earth’s latest for comparisons – and the sprawling, sculpted landscapes of sound the record conjures are truly mesmerising.

“Factorie” takes a slow, foreboding journey towards its end with soft passages giving way to heavier moments before stepping back to allow delicate branches of sound to creep out and take hold. Davis’ vocal cuts through the shadows with a deep, sultry gaze which binds to the underlying progression of the guitar and lifts the song up and out of the mire. The extended play time of Idre’s songs does much to allow them to explore all avenues of sound and the inclusion of a voice, no matter how sparingly they use it, takes their music to another dimension. “Factorie” moves from voice to droned out chords to fuzzed up words in a steady evolution of beats and grooves that mesh together in a delicious fusion.

Second track “Witch Trial” continues to bring differences forward with the aforementioned martial drum beat ushering in Davis’ eerie voice before the track pulls away and falls into a well of shadows. Idre could be the soundtrack to Roland Deschain’s journey to The Dark Tower – moments of darkness, gloom, sadness and hopelessness combine to create a powerful image of a voyage across unforgiving landscapes, looking for the end that will never come. Idre is a monumental record and Idre are a band to keep your eyes on.

Idre can be listened to and purchased via bandcamp