Final Dawn-Under the Bleeding Sky
Candlelight Records-CDL112CD-2004
By Josh Phillips
Under the Bleeding Sky is the debut release of Finnish metallers Final Dawn. After having some intial trouble trying to get a 5-song mini CD of this material released by a small label, the band eventually signed a new deal with a sub-label of Karmageddon Media, wrote 3 more songs and released it. The end result is the 39 minutes of music that make up Under the Bleeding Sky. The band puts forth a release that is undoubtedly melodic death metal, but at the same time with enough new elements to keep it interesting and a few brutal touches.
"Solemn Art" immediately showcases the bands penchant for melody before things spiral into more aggressive territory and the first vocals make their appearance. The vocal performance is without a doubt the highlight of the album, shifting between guttural growls and torturous screeches, sometimes within the delivery of a single word. They sound so familiar, yet I can't put a finger on a vocalist who sounds similar. The third track, "Aggression Overdrive" has a great lead and breaks into a gorgeous melody often, reminding me of something In Flames would have done years ago. A perfect contrast to the thrashy nature of the rest of the song. "Doze" is a much more mid-paced piece that runs far longer than necessary, the longest song on the album at 5:45. "Bleeding Sky" is the next song of note with some speedy clean guitars leading the way. It's got a nice groove section about halfway through that leads back into the riffing that opened the song. "What Flows Within" offers few new elements, but leads into the excellent closer "My Pain." An extremely catchy piece that takes the best parts of this album and brings them all together. A cross between "Solemn Art" and "Bleeding Sky", which happen to be the best tracks on the album, along with this piece and "Aggression Overdrive."
A little inconsistent across the board, but the band is really on during their faster parts and more concentrated pieces. The songs are longer than they need to be for the most part, cut the length of these pieces in half and they make a much more enjoyable listen. But, one cannot deny the fun of a song like "My Pain" and if the next album picks up where this one left off, I wouldn't mind it being a part of my collection.
7/10
Official Final Dawn Website
Official Candlelight USA Website
Official Karmageddon Media Website
Candlelight Records-CDL112CD-2004
By Josh Phillips
Under the Bleeding Sky is the debut release of Finnish metallers Final Dawn. After having some intial trouble trying to get a 5-song mini CD of this material released by a small label, the band eventually signed a new deal with a sub-label of Karmageddon Media, wrote 3 more songs and released it. The end result is the 39 minutes of music that make up Under the Bleeding Sky. The band puts forth a release that is undoubtedly melodic death metal, but at the same time with enough new elements to keep it interesting and a few brutal touches.
"Solemn Art" immediately showcases the bands penchant for melody before things spiral into more aggressive territory and the first vocals make their appearance. The vocal performance is without a doubt the highlight of the album, shifting between guttural growls and torturous screeches, sometimes within the delivery of a single word. They sound so familiar, yet I can't put a finger on a vocalist who sounds similar. The third track, "Aggression Overdrive" has a great lead and breaks into a gorgeous melody often, reminding me of something In Flames would have done years ago. A perfect contrast to the thrashy nature of the rest of the song. "Doze" is a much more mid-paced piece that runs far longer than necessary, the longest song on the album at 5:45. "Bleeding Sky" is the next song of note with some speedy clean guitars leading the way. It's got a nice groove section about halfway through that leads back into the riffing that opened the song. "What Flows Within" offers few new elements, but leads into the excellent closer "My Pain." An extremely catchy piece that takes the best parts of this album and brings them all together. A cross between "Solemn Art" and "Bleeding Sky", which happen to be the best tracks on the album, along with this piece and "Aggression Overdrive."
A little inconsistent across the board, but the band is really on during their faster parts and more concentrated pieces. The songs are longer than they need to be for the most part, cut the length of these pieces in half and they make a much more enjoyable listen. But, one cannot deny the fun of a song like "My Pain" and if the next album picks up where this one left off, I wouldn't mind it being a part of my collection.
7/10
Official Final Dawn Website
Official Candlelight USA Website
Official Karmageddon Media Website
