Dawnwalker: Ages

Dawnwalker are an experimental Progressive Metal band from the U.K. that dabbles in post Black Metal with elements of European/Scandinavian folk music intertwined. Their new album, Ages, is the follow up to their 2018 recording, Human Ruins, and it sees the band diving into more longer and deeper compositions. 10 plus minute Prog Metal epics with short interludes in-between is what the band has to offer on this release.

Ages tells the story of a dying world, reflected against itself and the warning signs which go unheeded day by day and it provides twists and turns all throughout the 8 tracks and presents different moods and landscapes. Elements of Tool, mixed with a prog/folk sensibility that seems to stem from that of King Crimson, the Moody Blues and Led Zeppelin, along with Atmospheric Black Metal, Melodic Death and even Doom Metal, all find a place to call home on this immense, Self-Released, effort.

On “The Wheel�, things are calm, cool and collected and then things escalate from moody vocal with equally somber guitar type melancholy to a frenzied, chugging heavy rhythm and back again. “The Cataclysm� closes out this 56 minute long record with one of the shorter of the actual songs, clocking in at just under 5 ½ minutes and the conciseness of a more streamlined tune does help to cap off this somewhat arduous listen. It’s mid paced, but slightly up-tempo droning is a welcomed finish.

Billed as for fans of “Opeth, Ihsahn, Porcupine Tree and The Pineapple Thief� (all bands that I like), I found Dawnwalker not really at all in that sonic environment, at all. Some of their “Folk� measures could ever so slightly remind one of a quick glimpse of an Opeth-like Folky interlude, but even that to me is a stretch. I just don’t hear it. I did hear a few, aforementioned, 'Tool-isms', but even that was quick and not repeating. This 56 minute long, 8 track record, with 4 songs clocking in at over 10 minutes long each, seemed to press on my listening patience, a bit. I found my attention drifting and not being pulled in by any of the tunes, other than the last, “The Cataclysm�. The band shows musical talent, but I found myself fairly bored with the muddy and Doomy Prog. If you’re expecting to find a new Opeth, this isn’t it. But maybe they will sharpen up their Prog game in the future.

Dawnwalker are:
Mark Norgate -Vocals, Guitars and Synthesizers
Dane Cross -Bass Guitar and Vocals
Matteo Bianciotto -Guitar
Hugo Terva -Drums
Robin Melinda Koob -Vocals
Caitlin Laing -Flute

Tracklist:

1. Melekh
2. The Wheel
3. Hymn
4. Ancient Sands
5. Numi
6. Burning World
7. Colony / A Gathering
8. The Cataclysm

Added: December 2nd 2020
Reviewer: Butch Jones
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 787
Language: english

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