Dialith – Alter

Dialith
Alter
Out: April 5^th, 2024
Playing time: 13:33

Dialith hail from Danbury (Connecticut). And they have dedicated themselves to Epic Symphonic Power Metal. Founded in 2015, they first released the EP “Through Stone” (2017). Another two years later, the debut album “Extinction Six” was released. In 2021, fans were able to enjoy the EP “Atrophy”. And in April of this year, the band followed up with “Alter”, an EP with four songs. The line-up has remained relatively stable over the years. Singer Krista Sion and guitarist Alasdair Wallace Mackie have been with the band since the beginning. Bassist Mark Grey and drummer Mark Grey have also been on board since 2017. Dialith are therefore a well-rehearsed band. This should actually have a positive effect on the songwriting and production.

There is no real intro. Instead, “Writhing Red” starts with a short introduction. What you hear after that is pleasant Melodic Metal with various symphonic elements. Krista Sion’s voice sounds pleasant without particularly standing out. “Ironbound” is a little heavier. In places, the drumming demands a somewhat faster pace. As the title suggests, “Hourglass (Shadowdancer Pt. 1)” is an interlude that leads into the final song “Shadowdancer”. This is accompanied by oriental sounds. The aforementioned “Shadowdancer” starts with the same sounds, but later becomes much heavier. There is also orchestral bombast. In my opinion, this is the best song on the EP.

“Alter” is a solid EP. No more, but also no less. I would have liked more songs in the style of “Shadowdancer”, the heaviest song here. This is where Dialith show what they’re really made of. The rest is more or less a pleasant accessory. So the chance of a good to very good rating is unfortunately wasted.

Dialith – Shadowdancer: https://youtu.be/0mu9ZDiDIFE?si=SOeG8bmIGV1jIHez

Lineup:

Mark Grey – Bass, Irish Whistle
Cullen Mitchell – Drums
Krista Sion – Vocals
Alasdair Wallace Mackie – Guitar, Orchestrations

Track list:

• Writhing Red
• Ironbound 
• Hourglass (Shadowdancer Pt. 1)
• Shadowdancer