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Rating:
7.9 |
Before The Dawn - Rise Of The Phoenix
25 April 2012
01. Exordium
02. Pitch-Black Universe
03. Phoenix Rising
04. Cross To Bear
05. Throne Of Ice
06. Perfect Storm
07. Fallen World
08. Eclipse
09. Closure
10. Unbreakable [2012 version] [bonus]
11. Starless Tranquility [bonus]
12. Deliverance [bonus]
13. Reflection [bonus] [taken from the first demo]
Let's get this out of the way: If you are looking for something drastically different from the tried and tested formula of Finnish melodic death metal, you may close this browser window now. Melodic death metal has long since been hip and fashionable, and Before The Dawn has been around for over a decade. Despite the departure of two members from the last lineup since 2011's Deadstar Rising, Tuomas Saukkonen remains and is still the main creative force of the band.
Of course, there are still some easily recognisable differences, and a lot would miss Lars "Eikind" Eric Si's clean vocals, which has become an integral part of Before The Dawn's trademark sound. For those expecting guest vocalists doing the clean vocals, I've got news for you: Rise Of The Phoenix features only growls and no clean vocals. Nope. Nada. Apart from the kvlt people that would eagerly point out that melodic singing is for wusses (but such trying-to-prove-a-point people really should go stick to stuff like Brutal Truth and Agoraphobic Nosebleed, yet they are probably too kvlt to even dare), Tuomas's latest output doesn't suffer from comparisons with the band's back catalogue. Without Lars' vocals, one can easily be more focused on the guitar riffs, which are rather solid and memorable. Courtesy of the production, the melodic guitar leads actually SOAR, perhaps to compensate for being less ear-friendly in the vocal department, but it also has a unique tonality to it that makes it sound almost like bagpipes, giving the album a rather refreshing feel.
In spite of being less vocally dynamic, Rise Of The Phoenix has certainly earned its right to be among Before The Dawn's better albums. Some would inevitably feel bitter about the band abandoning their "signature sound" they have grown attached to, but one can't please everyone, can they?
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Performance:
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8 |
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Songwriting:
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8 |
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Originality:
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6 |
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Production:
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9 |
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Written on 28.05.2012 by
Ag Fox
Ag Fox loves listening to music but is far from being a prolific writer. This corner just shows how territorial he is.
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Comments
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3
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Users visited:
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91 |
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| This felt painfully average - even compared to their latest release. Basically recycle their older riffs, water them down, strip the sound of its clean vocals and subtle gothic vibe, and you have this album. Probably the worst BtD release to date if you ask me. 5.5/10. |
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Written by Troy Killjoy on 30.05.2012 at 05:23
This felt painfully average - even compared to their latest release. Basically recycle their older riffs, water them down, strip the sound of its clean vocals and subtle gothic vibe, and you have this album. Probably the worst BtD release to date if you ask me. 5.5/10.
Didn't find it that bad at all. But hey... I never have listened to these guys at all. Will definitely check their discography.
7.0/10 |
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| Well it´s better then the last one fo sho, but not even close to their old albums |
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