Review by Jeger on June 11, 2025.

To make an impact on today’s international Black Metal scene is not an easy feat. The underground is boiling over with bands who’ve made it their mission to become or remain relevant in such a competitive climate. The Polish scene is a noble one indeed: Thunderbolt (defunct), Deus Mortem and Mgla are but a few mentionable names, and their contributions have been remarkable to say the least. Their expeditions into the realms of Satanism, rebellion and misanthropy have been legendary. How can one compete? Starogard Gdański, Pomerania’s Dione has released its debut record, Astrolatry, and project visionary, LDB, is up for the challenge. It was released on March 15, 2025 independently.

To explore the stars and to relinquish the spirit over to the majesty of the cosmos. This has been the idea behind Dione’s music since the project’s inception, just two years ago. The mysterious vastness of the universe as inspiration for epics like the opening title track. Just over 7:00 worth of introspective and otherworldly material. A grande fanfare to usher in the rest of the album. As complicated as the logistics of a functional galaxy are some parts of Astrolatry, simplistic as the way stars burn with gas during others. 'Prometheus, Thou Absorbing The Starlight' - feeling a little bit like Inquisition’s “Ominous Doctrines Of The Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm” LP: sinister, mystifying and dangerous. Like a swirling sonic vortex of riffs in synergy with California earthquake-level rhythms. Tempestuous above and violent below. And without a second’s reprieve does this - the finest track on the record - provide.

I appreciate how the record’s cosmic themes don’t influence the music too much. Is there anything worse than Labyrinthus Stellarum? Here, we have conventional Black Metal that happens to thrust and heave, twist and turn with the energy of a meteor as it crashes through the atmosphere. 'Hesperia Planum' tears through your cerebrum with urgency; creating suspense, terror even as it invokes images of a cosmic storm raging through our galaxy; disrupting orbits and disintegrating dark matter; causing a galactic catastrophe of rapturous magnitude…

LDB is a genuine talent and one Hell of a songwriter. Eight epic compositions, one single purpose, to awe you as one would be awed by Aurora Borealis or perhaps an Alien invasion. 37 minutes worth of Black Metal for pondering existence or for stargazing. Can you feel it? Forgotten recesses of your imagination coming alive; causing you to see Black Metal in a different, much more vibrant light. Still aggressive and even nasty during some moments, but the majesty of it far outweighs any sort of grime or malice. A valiant offering is “Astrolatry” and a sign of great things to come out of Dione.

Rating: 8 out of 10