"Dismantling Devotion" reviews

jesse

jesse

living, breathing
Apr 29, 2001
831
0
16
47
Solitary Refinement
www.daylightdies.com
In an effort to prevent further spamming of different threads with reviews all over the place, any future reviews we wish to post will go here. Below you will find a new review from Metalreview.com, not to be confused with the "metalreviews.com" review already up, but this deserves a posting:

http://www.metalreview.com/ViewReview.aspx?ID=2378

Production: 6/6
Song-writing: 5/6
Musicianship: 5/6

Synopsis:

Mid-era Paradise Lost pilots the black lion, mid-era Katatonia pilots the red lion, Anathema pilots the blue lion, October Tide pilots the yellow lion, and The Cure pilots the green lion…together they create the mighty mecha-robot Daylight Dies. FORM BLAZING SWORD!!!


Review:

Right…I probably lost everyone younger than 30 with the above Voltron reference, so here’s a quick breakdown - take equal parts mid era Paradise Lost & Katatonia, add a smidgeon of Anathema & October Tide, and season lightly with The Cure - you’ve got yourself a yummy soufflé of North Carolina’s Daylight Dies.

There’s been a hell of a lot of hype surrounding the pending release of Dismantling Devotion, and based on the general metal public’s high expectations, this is actually quite understandable. Daylight Dies is the band a lot of people hoped Paradise Lost would have become if the ‘commercial bug’ hadn’t bitten them. They also received a lot of positive press following their first album, No Reply. Couple all this with the fact it took 4 years to create this, their sophomore effort, and you’ve got veritable metal-hen-house full of squawking metalheads eager for it’s release.

Metal chickens aside, Dismantling Devotion left me duly impressed. I remember being pleased with the band’s first effort, but ultimately felt it lacked what was needed to hold my interest long term. I think the boys pretty much solved what was missing with this release. Dismantling Devotion is chock full of weepy guitar melodies, forlorn Death Metal caterwauling, and general feelings of gray depression. It’s more focused, complex, and holds deeper textures than No Reply, yet remains unmistakably Daylight Dies. In short, Dismantling Devotion is a melancholic, Death/Goth Metal album with a solid set of balls. It’s not devastatingly heavy (apart from the opening riff to track 7, “Lies That Bind”), but what it lacks in ferocity, it more than makes up for in its genuine despondency. There are also no flitting keyboards, orchestrations, or female vocals present, which definitely helps set Daylight Dies apart from many of their peers.

Also of note is the amazing production and overall sound on Dismantling Devotion. Throughout its entirety, each instrument is as clear as a bell, allowing the listener to hear what I believe is the shining spot of Daylight Dies – the excellent bass playing of Egan O’Rourke. His fantastic bass-work (along with the solid rhythm of drummer extraordinaire, Jesse Haff) ties all the songs on Dismantling Devotion together beautifully. Check out his superb noodling in the heart of the second and third tracks as sound proof of this man’s expertise. The rest of the band is obviously quite adept at their craft as well. As I mentioned earlier, this album is loaded with finely crafted, weepy guitar leads and medleys. Track one, “A Life Less Lived”, and track three, “A Dream Resigned”, are excellent examples. It’s songs like these that can throw a most welcomed, wonderfully gloomy shroud on my mostly sunny California days. Song five, “Solitary Refinement”, is the closest thing to a ballad on the album. It has a beautiful, slow, sad opening, and features some ‘floaty’, light guitar work and ethereal, clean vocals in its midst which definitely brings Blackwater Park-era Opeth to mind. Interestingly enough, the album closes with an instrumental title track…something relatively unconventional, but definitely effective, as this track actually stands out as my favorite.

Not much to point to as far as drawbacks on Dismantling Devotion. At times there’s a tiny feeling of repetitiveness in a couple tracks, but I’d be willing to bet this will fade as the album sinks in further in the coming year. Overall, I’d say if you’re a fan of Death/Goth Metal, this is a no brainer. Put a check in the win column for Daylight Dies, I have a feeling they’ll be hitting it big this year. This is a solid slab of agony.
 
DigitalMetal.com review.

http://digitalmetal.com/reviews.asp?cid=7143

I’ll forgo the usual introductory band history and opinionated opening paragraph and get straight to it; With their second album, North Carolina’s Daylight Dies have masterfully yet subtly elbowed their way into the international metal elite. Not only does Dismantling Devotion separate the band from what is essentially a two band race within the US’s limited doom/death genre (with November’s Doom being the other band), but it elevates the status of Daylight dies into international realms of brilliance previously dominated by the likes of Opeth, Rapture, Swallow the Sun, Insomnium and Slumber.

I focus on the above mentioned Finnish greats because quite simply Daylight Dies sounds like a Finnish crafted masterpiece of elegant yet depressive eloquence. The mixture of lush, aching melodies, draining layers somber emotion and measured aggression is a perfect mix of all the Finnish masters of mope. Throw in the light/dark hues and vocal textures of Opeth (especially the clean vocals of bassist Egan O'Rourke) at their Still Life peak, and Dismantling Devotion ends up as a much needed beacon of quality American metal that isn’t stoner, thrash or death metal.

As with most masterpieces, Dismantling Devotion must be appreciated as a whole entity, not a track by track jaunt searching for highlights (of which there are plenty). The almost full hour of music needs to be assimilated as a hour long trip into somberly crafted brilliance and dispirited bliss. From the soft Opethian opening tones of “A Life Less Lived”, through the weaving structures of “Dead Air”, the layered dramatics and stout Rapture-esque trot of “A Dream Redesigned”, the utterly draining Draconian like melodies that open “Solitary Refinement”, to the surprising mix of heft and acoustic clarity of “Lies That Bind”, to the titular closing instrumental Dismantling Devotion just enthralls and captivates with its blending of moods and perfectly paced song writing. Like shafts of light piercing the darkest clouds, Daylight Dies manage to keep you on the edge of a depresive abyss, but lace it with a despondent beauty that mesmerizes as the razor glides across your wrist.

Even my general disdain for instrumental title tracks, lack of real ‘killer’, album defining track (though “Solitary Refinement” comes close for me) and a slightly canned if effective production doesn’t hinder my high regard for what seems to be a landmark American album.

By Erik Thomas
 
Review from Revolver Magazine (very high circulation mag here in the US):

4 out of 5 stars.

Three years after the release of their excellent debut full-length, No Reply, Daylight Dies have one-upped themselves by conjuring an epic slab of gloom metal that's equal parts apoplectic rage and suicidal sorrow. Roaring songs like "Strive to See" and "A Dream Resigned" are clearly influenced by Katatonia and Paradise Lost, yet driven by their own pulse, while "Solitary Refinement" is more tunefully atmospheric, giving new vocalist Nathan Ellis a chance to sing instead of growl. [error in review -- Egan O'Rourke sings all cleans] As intricate and dramatic as Dismantling Devotion is, however, its brilliance lies largely in the band's restraint. The melodies are never too lightweight, the prog parts never distractingly wanky, and the doom never too oppressive.

- Jon Wiederhorn
 
TheGauntlet.com Review of "Dismantling Devotion"

http://www.thegauntlet.com/album-reviews/1466/1605/Daylight Dies.html

4 out of 5.

A lot of metalheads have been wondering exactly how Daylight Dies scored the coveted opening slot on Emperor’s summer farewell gigs. Obviously, they haven’t given this record a spin as of yet. If so, one listen to the astutely decisive, technically proficient chops of guitar team Barre Gambling and Charlie Shackelford should prove to be enlightening.

Much of the music on “Dismantling Devotion” resounds as a hybrid of Opeth and Paradise Lost, with the band’s propensity for creating dark atmospheres with a death metal bent signifying the Opeth reference and their disposition toward articulate yet weighty riffing bearing the traits of the playing and songwriting of the latter. Likely, some death metal purists may find this analogy to be a stretch, but listening to the melodic overtones and sharp, jagged chugging that makes its way into ‘A Life Less Lived’ and ‘A Dream Resigned’ make for a suitable comparison.

There can be no doubt that a certain Gothenburg inspiration creeps into the group’s songwriting and the dismal dirge that follows the determinedly rock intro of ‘Dead Air’ can be said to be reminiscent of the band’s doomier Relapse Records material, only on a much more grandiose scale. Vocalist Nathan Ellis sings with a low-toned, raspy growl much of the time but on cuts such as ‘Solitary Refinement’, the singer takes a more traditional singing style that suits the piece well and brings a nice ebb and flow to the album.

The ornate, reverberating tones of ‘Strive To See’ prove the songwriting maturity of this decade-old group. In terms of instrumentation, sounds are overlaid to create a lush, massive sonic landscape. Without overplaying, the musicians deliver an elaborate web of soaring sounds and deeply moving rhythms that are as emotionally impacting as they are obscure and absorbing.

Whether a fan of Peaceville Records style doom of a follower of Dark Tranquillity, you’ll likely find much to enjoy about this record. A marvelous amount of depth is displayed over the course of the complete record, taking listeners on a darkly progressive journey of sonic discontent and despair that connects one with the utter desperation of the soul of man.


Review by: Erin Fox
 
Everything that I've read so far is well written and the reviewers seem to "get" what Daylight Dies is aiming for.

Words like depth, ornate, lush etc aren't something you'll find in any ol' review. This is fucking awesome to read.
 
NecroMeal review.
http://www.necrometal.com/content/view/399/141/

9/10.

Fucking a this band is great a killer blend of dark, melodic, doom,death,atmospheric a awesome blend that leaves you sitting back and allows your blackheart to slowdown and ripped out so your breath stops for a brief moment. See kids you can be emotional and dark with out sounding fucking gay. The name of this band fits the sound well you could feel the darkness seep in as the “Daylight Dies”.
The album has a similar like style to Opeth, Paradise Lost, Dark Tranquillity, and Katatonia and some elements of Amorphis. The vocals are dark and has a seething feel that goes well with the guitar work similar to stuff (Paradise Lost) would put out very emotional and doom like death. The riffs will stick with you and are pretty catchy in parts. Drums are slow passed but deliver good effects and drive for what the band is trying to go for. I could best describe where this albums sound is similar like it’s if you took the early days of katatonia and gave them a new breath of fresh air and polish it up a bit. Some of favorites on this are “A Dream Resigned” “Dead Air” “Lies that Bind” really not one track is shit all flow well and make this album a complete one.
This is a masterpiece for any fan of doom/death albums you won’t be disappointed well worth a listen. I would have choose a better cover art for this but oh well it’s their band. This is truly an album that makes you have Goosebumps and trickles down to your spine when listening at max volume.
9/10
-ED
 
Visions Underground review.
http://www.visions-underground.com/de/cd-review/cd-daylight-dies-devotion-uk.php

8/10

After four years without a release and without a larger tour like the ones back in 2003 with Lacuna Coil and Katatonia, Daylight Dies are sending some signs of life. And patience pays well this time. The heavy, melancholic mood of the first album „No Reply“ was even intensified by Daylight Dies on their new one, “Dismantling Devotion. The 8 rather slow songs shine by the melodic line- up of the gutarists Barre Gambling and Charley Shackelford, without ever getting too greasy or kitschy. Frontman Nathan Ellis cares about this, too, bringing it out with his rough vocals. In total, the album is strongly influenced by the excellent musical performance of the three (bass too) guitar players. They even don´t hesitate to use acoustic guitars sometimes instead of distorted ones.
“Dismantling Devotion” isn´t the type of album featured on Metal parties, it´s rather something for those quiet, personal moments. Dark, melodic, but still heavy.

Favourites are hard to make out, the album sounds like one single song.
If I have to recommend some songs, I´d choose maybe “A Life Less Lived and “All We Had”, another interesting one is “Solitary Refinement” with clean vocals only and “Dismantling Devotion”, which is a instrumental and the last song of the album. This also underlines the strong guitar- focus of this release. Nevertheless worth listening to!
Although this isn´t my kind of music normally, I enjoy listening to it. Of course I won´t tell my friends.
If you are interested now, but not sure yet if to buy it, you can get a sample of the album´s opener “A Life Less Lived” on www.daylightdies.com
A European tour hasn´t been scheduled lately, but Daylight Dies are touring the U.S. with label – mates Emperor in March.
Let´s hope we´ll get a chance to seem them round our area soon.
 
About.com review.
4.5 out of 5
http://heavymetal.about.com/od/cdreviews/gr/daylightdies.htm

Daylight Dies has made a few changes in the 3 years since their debut album. They have a new vocalist, Nathan Ellis, and also added a second guitarist. The North Carolina band has made a quantum leap forward on their sophomore effort.

Each song is a mini-epic that's at least five minutes long. They play melodic death metal that's flavored with doom. You'll even hear some progressive touches and even a bit of goth mixed in. The tempo of the songs is usually slow to medium, and the atmosphere and mood are dark.


Daylight Dies' songwriting style combines bursts of intense vocals with long instrumental sections. That allows for plenty of solos and tempo changes. There are also melodic vocals on a couple songs.


I really like this album. It showcases both the musicianship and the songwriting skills of the band. The vocals are solid and the music very diverse with a lot of different influences.
 
The album's been out now in the U.S. for about 6 days now and I still don't see anyone discussing the new album. Is it because people pre-ordered it and it hasn't come in yet? Anyway, I think the new album is great. I'm trying to take the album in as a whole, but I'm finding it hard to listen to anything but "A Dream Resigned." Love the bass line in the verse.
 
8.5 out of 10
http://www.bravewords.com/hardwares/1000982

Raleigh North Carolina's dismal melodic death/doom act Daylight Dies were always a picturesque band creating some of the most memorable and dreary musical moments within this particular subgenre. By being compared to the likes of early Katatonia, Anathema, and early Amorphis, the band have etched a sound of their own and Dismantling Devotion takes it even further. Through unforgettable lush melodies that dominate throughout, and through the many delicate layers of sound (plus an excellent production to top it all off), it becomes clear how much the band have matured, even though the overall vibe has gotten that much more bleak and morose. But most importantly, Daylight Dies know how to properly craft a song, each of these blessed with its own identity, even though they all follow close behind, blending together seamlessly into one. With their last album, No Reply, it was evident that Daylight Dies were easily one of the most prominent prospects within the death/dark/doom metal genre, and hopefully with Dismantling Devotion, this band’s stature will blossom even more.
 
http://www.aversionline.com/blahg/2006/03/who-needs-daylight-anyway.html

Having been a longtime fan of Daylight Dies since their debut EP (inexplicably released by predominantly mediocre metalcore label Tribunal Records), I've been waiting all too long for the release of their sophomore full-length, "Dismantling Devotion". The band is yet again on a new label (Candlelight Records), though this time they seem to be getting a larger push, and I sincerely hope it pays off, because this is without a doubt the band's finest work to date.

Now, it's possible that these guys will always draw comparisons to earlier Katatonia, mid-period Paradise Lost, and that whole branch of melodic midpaced metal that utilizes loads of lead harmonies over a backbone of doomy power chords that tends to thrive on brooding atmospheres and emotionally wrenching tonalities. But in my book that's damn fine company to be in, and while I would absolutely not limit Daylight Dies to such confines, I do agree that such associations exist, and fans of such artists should look into this band immediately with zero hesitation. Lineup changes have certainly fared well for the band as this record boasts one of the most powerful vocal performances I've encountered from such an act in quite some time, in terms of both the sparse appearances of singing and the dominant presence of snarled growls. Let's be honest, oftentimes aggressively growled vocals simply don't possess a great deal of actual feeling, but the vocals on this record absolutely communicate the type of pain and anxiety that the lyrics and music are building here. I'm impressed. And musically speaking this is a more focused effort that delivers eight tracks in nearly an hour without feeling particularly overbearing, and it's also consistent without lacking color – for instance there are some gorgeous appearances of acoustic guitars, and a number of more intricately layered riffs that deal with added levels of tactful dissonance or droning swells that add impact to the already forcefully rhythmic spine of the album. Hell, even the instrumental title track that closes the disc is absolutely awesome, and perhaps one of the finest moments herein.

Great artwork and photography, spectacular production (truly fucking flawless, I'm stunned)... this one's all set. Seriously, I'm perhaps irresponsibly glossing over the recording aspects of the disc, but there's nothing to bother mentioning because it sounds pristinely perfect to my ears. I can only imagine if "Brave Murder Day" or "Shades of God" were lucky enough to sound this massive and clear!

I'd like to post another song as there are a number of high points, but they're so long that I'll stick with what the band and label are putting out there. This one doesn't seem to have hit the distros yet, but I ordered mine straight from the band and had it within three or four days, so I encourage you to do the same if you enjoy the material:

@ Daylight Dies

Well fucking done, gentlemen.
 
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