The Poor Devil
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'It was a need from deep inside. That's why this is so very, very good.'
Read more: Maximum Volume Music
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'Silas J. Dirge offers roots-infused poetry set to sparse arrangements that deftly conveys the hidden beauty behind dark roots music'
Read more: Saving Country Music
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'Silas' unmatched ability to perfectly balance vast orchestration and stark soundscapes is on full display here'
Read more: Devil's Music
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'Dirge offers listeners their own personal Tardis, as if he were Doctor Who'
Read more: Independent Clauses
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'The whole album is still dark and shadowy, but brighter sounds and stronger emphasis brings some shades to it'
Read more (French): Adopte Un Disque
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'Silas J. Dirge masterfully untangles a skein of dark and troubling stories, without disdaining the romantic and poetic side of dark culture'
Read more (Italian): Ondarock
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'The Poor Devil is a breath of fresh air that rises above the miasmic subject matter'
Read more: Exposé
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'[...] highly atmospheric backings which might be interpreted as a long journey through a metaphysical Death Valley.'
Read more: Lonesome Highway
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'A fine dark-country album. Again Silas J. Dirge has raised the bar for this genre.'
Read more (Dutch): Rockportaal
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'The Poor Devil is an intriguing breath of fresh air with songs in minor filled with dark poetry.'
Read more (Dutch): Altcountryforum.nl
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'He doesn't tell a story, he immerses us in it and we quickly get caught up in the game.'
Read more (French): Alors, on écoute quoi?
New album: The Poor Devil
Following the acclaim of his dark debut album Tales of Woe, Netherlands-based artist Silas J. Dirge explores new territory with his sophomore release The Poor Devil. And though the shadow and spookiness of Tales... haunts the background, Silas' latest album finds its footing deep in the waters of American country music.These ten new compositions take a more sparse, raw direction, harkening to Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and other outlaw heroes he's listened to since he was young. As Silas says, "It was a natural evolution. I've always been into country music. I've listened since I was a kid... so it's deep rooted in me. I've always wanted to make a country record."
This direction dovetailed with the lyrics and stories of The Poor Devil as well. As he explains, "I had new stories that aren't as dark as Tales of Woe. I wanted the music to match that." Tracks like the opener 'Hang Me High' and the gritty 'Flowers on Her Grave', with their raw-and-rollicking acoustic strums, would fit perfectly on the score of any classic Western film. This is country music at its finest.
Yet fans of Silas J. Dirge will find plenty of the rich musical layers on The Poor Devil they've come to expect. The Spaghetti-western guitar licks and atmospheric nuances ever-present on his debut are on this record as well. And his knack for macabre tales and characters still find their way onto it. The standout tune 'Hear its Roar (When It's Black)' is a perfect example of this musical and lyrical concoction that Silas has become known for.
So as the much anticipated New Year unfolds, be sure to start it off right with this much anticipated album from a truly fascinating singer-songwriter.
- Justin Stover, Devil's Music