Search - Abysmal Dawn :: From Ashes

Solid blackened death metal debut

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 04/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Abysmal Dawn was formed in 2003 after Charles Elliott decided to leave his former band Rise. Elliott regrouped with Jamie Boulanger, his friend from an older band of his. With the addition of Terry Barajas and session bassist Mike Bear, the lineup was complete, so the band started working on writing songs. After a successful demo in 2004, here is their debut album, From Ashes.



From Ashes is blackened death metal with scorching vocals and god-heavy guitar work, and thundering rhythm parts. Elliot is not only an exceptional guitar player, but he is also a very aggressive singer - a perfect fit for old school US death metal. His growling is deep and pain-ridden, but he will also opt for black shrieks on tracks like "In the Hands of Death", a song with speedy riffs and hammering drum work. Towards the end of the track, Elliott shifts from low growls to shrieked black screams lending it an old-school black metal vibe. The guitar tandem of Abysmal Dawn is tight and blessed with chops to boot. The fast chord progressions on "Blacken the Sky" suggest a progressive outlook in their songwriting vision. Barjas' cymbal work crashes loudly, as Jamie Boulanger lays down a punishing guitar solo, with stop-start bass and drum attacks interspersed in between. The band's thrashy roots come through on "Servants to Their Knees" and "Wicked Impulse", the former featuring minor pace changes and Egyptian scales, while the latter is filled with an Alex Skolnick type of neoclassical run that really heightens the song's scope. A similar solo is offered on "Solitude's Demise", also introducing a more straightforward vocal style by Elliott. The brief yet effective "State of Mind" displays the band's atmospheric side with painful growls that we'd normally hear on funeral doom bands' albums, but it's the guitar work that constitutes Abysmal Dawn's strongest aspect. At only 31 minutes, the album is packed with some of the most fluid, well-composed, and violent riffs, licks and solos you'll hear. Add to this Elliott's strong vocals and a challenging rhythmic angle, and there you have it: From Ashes.



The album was engineered by John Haddad (Eyes of Fire) and its artwork was done by Par Olofsson known for his works with Deeds of Flesh and Psycroptic. The production is solid and the mix serves its purpose. With all of this considered, it's safe to say Abysmal Dawn have made a good start.

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Tracklisting- Impending Doom . In the Hands of Death . Blacken the Sky . Servants to Their Knees . Wicked Impulse . Solitude's Demise . State of Mind . Salting the Earth . Crown Desire"

New Death Metal Heavyweights

Joel Israel | Cedar City, UT United States | 11/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This band was an unexpected surprise for me- I actually have enjoyed the first album from this new, osbcure death metal band more than some of the latest high-profile metal releases.



Abysmal Dawn deliver a solid platter of meat-and-potatoes death metal, just the way I like it- nice, heavy dirge riffs and speedy tremolo-picking, with enough complexity and cool time changes to make it interesting, old-school cookie monster vocals, and some standout drumming. The only thing slightly detracting from this release is it's rather short playtime, clocking in at just over 30 minutes. Even so, this is what death metal is supposed to sound like- definately recommended. This and the latest Suffocation album have been my favorite death metal discs lately, and I would like to hear more from this band in the future."

Amazing Debut

A Deep Void | Arizona | 04/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Blistering Modern Death Metal. The production isn't so over the top that it doesnt even sound like humans performed the music, but not underproduced either. Abysmal Dawn offers up an impressive debut with From Ashes. I expect nothing but big things to come from this band.



www.abysmaldawn.com"