DIRA MORTIS hailing from Gorlice, Poland were founded by Leszek Makowiecki in 1998. The band was active until 2004, had a five years break and are active again since 2009. They are a Death Metal band. So far, they released two demos, two EPs, one compilation and "Ancient Breath Of Forgotten Misanthropy" is their third full-length album which comes with a new vocalist. It was released via Polish label Selfmadegod Records which is specialized in Punk, Hardcore, Death Metal, and Grindcore. The album has a length of about 40 minutes.

Polish Death Metal bands are often different and special compared to the rest of world since the nineties. DIRA MORTIS also fall into that category. Their sound is not really comparable with that of classical Death Metal bands, it is rather Death Metal with a large portion of Black Metal and Doom Metal. "Ancient Breath Of Forgotten Misanthropy" is a very dark album from the start to the end. The darkness starts with their intro "Legions Heading For Eternity" which perfectly creates the right atmosphere for the things to come. Opposite to most intros, it is intriguing and occupies the mind of the listener. "Worshipping The Terror Of Madness" sets then the tone of the album: dark and aggressive rhythms and a variety of tempos, perfectly fitting lead guitar sequences and solos, crushing bass guitar, hammering drums, and deafening vocals ranging from the low end to high pitched screams. With more than nine minutes, "Worshipping The Terror Of Madness" is the longest song on the album and DIRA MORTIS use that time very well. There are countless numbers of breaks and twists in rhythm ranging from blisteringly fast blast-beat sections and chaotic riffing to slow and doom-laden sections that let the blood of the listener freeze. Impressive are the highly comprehensive lead guitar sequences that contribute perfectly to the atmosphere of the song.

"Sepulchlar Maniac" continues with the madness and the tempo changes. During the seven minutes, it is played in three different tempos with a bit more structuring than the preceding song. The low tempo parts are especially dominated by darkness. Kuba Brewczynski uses his low range of the gutturals with very few higher pitched screams. The drumming of Vizun is simply insane and very demanding given the song structure. He offers the very best of Death Metal drumming here. "Twilight Of Divine Purgatory" may be the song with the most Doom elements. It has also its blast-beat moments, but in general it is more mid-tempo with slow tempo parts. The rhythm section is a bit catchier than the rest of the album. "Twilight Of Divine Purgatory" was put on YouTube as video by the label and the link is given below.

Another highlight of the album is "Forward To The Abyss Of Misanthropy". It continues with the triptych of rhythms but in shorter and more chaotic sequences. The drumming is again in a league of its own, Kuba Brewczynski uses the full range of his gutturals including deafening screams, and the lead guitar sequences and solos range from being flesh-ripping to being harmonic. The outro "The Altars Fall" completes 40 minutes of darkness.

"Ancient Breath Of Forgotten Misanthropy" is Death Metal at its very best. It shows how diverse and multi-layered Death Metal can be if the songwriting is well thought through. DIRA MORTIS offer a very unique album. Their sound includes a number of elements from different subgenres which generates a darkness that is rarely released on Death Metal albums. All band members deliver outstanding individual performances resulting in a totality of the album that is even better. In addition to that, the production of the album is excellent. "Ancient Breath Of Forgotten Misanthropy" is an album that belongs to the collection of every Metal fan.