Before the Dawn - Soundscape of Silence (2008)
Finland’s Before the Dawn, brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocalist Tuomas Saukkonen, is a relatively new band, yet has made leaps and bounds in the melodic metal scene in its few short years of existence. It is predominantly a solo project of Saukkonen, with the more recent assistance of the well known Lars Eikind (Age of Silence, Winds), and various sessions musicians that change with each record. The band has released a staggering four full lengths and a DVD since 2003, and with their newest work “Soundscape of Silence,” they show no signs of letting up.
The band’s sound can best be described as melodic metal, with influences that include the melancholy doom sounds of Katatonia, Swedish melodic death metal, and the ever popular Finnish goth rock. The band never strays far into any particular category, instead preferring to ride the line of all three gracefully, with a surprising amount of originality that is difficult to find these days.
When comparing it to their earlier works, Soundscape is more of the same affair, but seems significantly more balanced, with less filler, and careful attention to the relevance of each individual song. The production is top notch, if a bit strong on the bass. Every instrument is clear and avoids the tendency extreme metal has to fall into the wall of noise approach, and the entire package shines as a result.
It begins with the somber yet powerful “Dying Sun“, one of the better tracks on the album, kicking off with a slow, steady build up into a catchy lead that soon transitions into a quiet, acoustic section highlighted by Eikind's distinctive clean vocals. Every song on the album features by the books harsh vocals by Saukkonen that serve as an aggressive contrast to the surprising accessibility of each song. It features throughout fairly similar song structures, each one accented and made distinct mainly by a memorable chorus, and a pleasant sense of consistency.
However, the album does end rather abruptly and disappointingly with the somewhat directionless “Last Song“, and the listener is left with a sense of wanting more, leading to the main issue this solid offering suffers from: it’s length. No matter what angle it is viewed from, be it individual tracks or in its entirety, Soundscape falls short. The ten tracks hardly breach the 35 minute mark, and it is hard not to wonder how much more the album could have offered with just a bit more bulk to each song.
The bottom line: The band’s best release yet, and while short, is worth every penny spent, as it is an emotional, deeply engrossing listen fans of melodic metal should not pass up.
Songs to watch out for: Dying Sun, Savior, Monsters
Finland’s Before the Dawn, brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocalist Tuomas Saukkonen, is a relatively new band, yet has made leaps and bounds in the melodic metal scene in its few short years of existence. It is predominantly a solo project of Saukkonen, with the more recent assistance of the well known Lars Eikind (Age of Silence, Winds), and various sessions musicians that change with each record. The band has released a staggering four full lengths and a DVD since 2003, and with their newest work “Soundscape of Silence,” they show no signs of letting up.
The band’s sound can best be described as melodic metal, with influences that include the melancholy doom sounds of Katatonia, Swedish melodic death metal, and the ever popular Finnish goth rock. The band never strays far into any particular category, instead preferring to ride the line of all three gracefully, with a surprising amount of originality that is difficult to find these days.
When comparing it to their earlier works, Soundscape is more of the same affair, but seems significantly more balanced, with less filler, and careful attention to the relevance of each individual song. The production is top notch, if a bit strong on the bass. Every instrument is clear and avoids the tendency extreme metal has to fall into the wall of noise approach, and the entire package shines as a result.
It begins with the somber yet powerful “Dying Sun“, one of the better tracks on the album, kicking off with a slow, steady build up into a catchy lead that soon transitions into a quiet, acoustic section highlighted by Eikind's distinctive clean vocals. Every song on the album features by the books harsh vocals by Saukkonen that serve as an aggressive contrast to the surprising accessibility of each song. It features throughout fairly similar song structures, each one accented and made distinct mainly by a memorable chorus, and a pleasant sense of consistency.
However, the album does end rather abruptly and disappointingly with the somewhat directionless “Last Song“, and the listener is left with a sense of wanting more, leading to the main issue this solid offering suffers from: it’s length. No matter what angle it is viewed from, be it individual tracks or in its entirety, Soundscape falls short. The ten tracks hardly breach the 35 minute mark, and it is hard not to wonder how much more the album could have offered with just a bit more bulk to each song.
The bottom line: The band’s best release yet, and while short, is worth every penny spent, as it is an emotional, deeply engrossing listen fans of melodic metal should not pass up.
Songs to watch out for: Dying Sun, Savior, Monsters
