Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn review
| Band: | Summoning |
| Album: | Old Mornings Dawn |
| Style: | Atmospheric black metal |
| Release date: | June 07, 2013 |
| A review by: | Auntie Sahar |
01. Evernight
02. Flammifer
03. Old Mornings Dawn
04. The White Tower
05. Caradhras
06. Of Pale White Morns And Darkened Eves
07. The Wandering Fire
08. Earthshine
09. The Darkening Of Valinor [special edition bonus]
10. With Fire And Sword [special edition bonus]
Rejoice, my metal brethren and fellow LOTR enthusiasts! Earendil has persuaded the Valar with his Silmaril to make war upon Morgoth for the sake of Middle Earth, casting him beyond the Door Of Night into The Void for all eternity (yeah, that was added in there for the nerds like myself that've actually read The Silmarillion). Tolkien references aside, Summoning's new album, no doubt one of the most anticipated releases of the year, is finally upon us, and from the very first moments of its music the band make it quite clear that the 7 years of waiting since Oath Bound back in '06 have been well worth it for 2013's Old Mornings Dawn.
So, let's just get right to what's no doubt on everyone's minds: how does this new chapter in the Summoning odyssey match up to the rest of their discography? Well, my elf and ent friends, get ready, because Old Mornings Dawn may very well be the catchiest album Summoning have yet put out. This may not seem like I'm saying much, really, because the band have always created memorable instrumentation with their keyboards and horns, but something about the formula this time around seems to just have much more of a hook to it than before. From the brief introductory opener "Evernight," to the main riff of "Flamiffer," and even the percussion on "Of Pale White Morns And Darkened Eves," Summoning's music on Old Mornings Dawn comes across as a lot more groovy and riff-heavy than before. The drums are what really keep this rhythmic pace going, Old Mornings Dawn definitely being one of Summoning's best albums in regards to drumming as well.
Other than that, it's the same epic atmospheric black metal we've come to know and love from Summoning. Well-executed keyboard and guitar parts galore create the usual folklore-ish, medieval type of feel perfect for a LOTR-themed band, especially on "Caradhras" and "The Wandering Fire." In addition, there's also a bit of the band's usual clean vocals thrown into the mix, in the vocal harmony in the middle of "Caradhras," and towards the end of the title track.
So, in essence, Old Mornings Dawn is pretty much like any other Summoning album? for the most part. The groovy melodies the band dabble into on this release give the music a whole different dimension, perhaps unlike any they've ever gotten into before, and this 2013 effort is in my opinion a lot better than the more ambient nature of Oath Bound. Regardless of which is better, however, it's pretty safe to say that at this point in their career, Summoning have built up a very well-respected and well-deserved reputation for themselves with their discography. Few bands have displayed such consistency over the course of their albums, and for this Summoning will surely be remembered once their run is at its end. But that's a point (hopefully) far in the future. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves with what will without question end up being one of the best black metal releases of the year, and let yet another installation in Summoning's Middle Earth-ean saga overtake your soul.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Auntie Sahar | 01.05.2013
Comments page 2 / 3
Comments: 68
Visited by: 882 users
| Erik M. Posts: 3104  |
Written by [user id=111071] on 03.05.2013 at 13:29 I'm looking forward to hearing it, but I'm not in a hurry so it might be months from now until I actually decide to buy it... I might even pick up Old Mornings Dawn before LMHSYF since I want... no, I NEED the special edition with those two bonus tracks.  To be honest, Oath Bound blew me away on its first listen, although now I like it a bit less than before. Still an amazing album, but somehow I'm not entirely sure what to think of it. The songs don't seem all that unique when compared to the songs on Stronghold. I can easily guess each track blindly on Stronghold, but I could never do that with Oath Bound. The only two songs I'd easily guess are Across the Streaming Tide and Land of the Dead, my two favourites... and Mirdautas Vras obviously (because of the lyrics in the Black Speech).
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| Monolithic ♠♠♠ Posts: 669  |
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| Wes Posts: 424  |
Pretty hypnotic stuff. I cannot stress how much I LOVE how long the songs are. They just keep going. Vocals sound really really good. The first track (track 2) starts with some of the coolest screaming/whining ever! it's perfectly fitting for a band that has awoken after 7 years. Damn exciting.
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| Rhiannon Account deleted |
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| garmling Account deleted |
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| Rhiannon Account deleted |
Rhiannon
Account deleted Written by [user id=111071] on 12.05.2013 at 13:32 Yeah, those parts are great, however my favorites from the album were Old Mornings Dawn, which reminded me of Farewell with the clean vocal parts, and The White Tower, which is really groovy  . And I still need to hear the bonus tracks, I bet they are good too!
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| garmling Account deleted |
garmling
Account deleted Written by [user id=36134] on 12.05.2013 at 16:04 Honestly, it's very hard to pick any favorites from this album since all the songs have something special in them, that moment when you think, just WOW! They are all very special in its own way to me (same thing as with every other Summoning release) and it's almost impossible to pick any favorites...but if I had to chose one, it would probably be Caradhras. I just love its mix of calm ambient parts and those mighty epic choirs, absolutely amazing! And about those bonus tracks...well as much as I know, The Darkening Of Valinor is instrumental meant to be intro of OMD, but was replaced by Evernight so I'm not that much interested in that one (I mean I love intros of Summoning, but they are just intros and nothing more, you know)....but With Fire And Sword is left over from Oath Bound session, little altered later, so I'm pretty sure it will be a nice one since Oath Bound is simply brilliant
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| s_t_s Posts: 1208  |
Need to get my hands of this new album (and also get official copies of Oath Bound and Stronghold
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| neonxaos Posts: 166 |
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989  |
Written by neonxaos on 12.06.2013 at 14:16 Maybe it's something with the vocals being mixed lower than the instrumentation? I don't exactly know all the technicalities of producing. But I should just say right now, in case you don't know: don't always expect the best when it comes to black metal production 
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101  |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 12.06.2013 at 15:04 This is no joke! As with many black metal bands, album production is everything and in so many cases with black metal bands, the production is not entirely due to lack of budget/funding but is actually produced the way it is on purpose to create atmosphere and/or mysticism. Summoning's production has always been like this for that very reason; no low end/high treble and very distant vocals (as if the microphone is on the other side of a huge chasm). And it definitely adds to the beauty and mysticism that is Summoning, for which fans have all become pleasantly familiar with and rather enjoy. 
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~ 
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 |
Written by psykometal on 12.06.2013 at 17:26 Good way of describing it! It definitely is kinda intentional, and part of the reason why I've always loved the band's sound
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 12.06.2013 at 19:26  Same here! 
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~
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| neonxaos Posts: 166 |
Written by psykometal on 12.06.2013 at 17:26 Oh yes, I know that the production is very much on purpose, maybe the pure black metal sound is just not really for me. But as for the mic being on the other side of the chasm, I sort of get that. As if the band was playing on the other side of a barrier that we mere mortals can't physically reach... I just think that this sound is very much an acquired taste.
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| Erik M. Posts: 3104 |
This is how I'd rate it: Performance: 10 Songwriting: 10 Originality: 8 Production: 10 Anyway, great review...  I'd give a higher score, but a 9.0 isn't bad by any means.
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| theembryo Posts: 161  |
Old Mornings Dawn; The White Tower; and Caradhras particularly stand out for me, precisely for the reverberation sound of the vocal, hmmmm.... I am able to coax quite enough low-end from my listening hardware. The clean vocal inclusions near the end of White tower I find most adding to the great ambience of the piece. Thanks for another Brilliant review by Apothecary, the release is indeed highly recommended!
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| SoulScarred Posts: 45  |
I wasn't very impressed with the first few listens, but this album is growing for me greatly.. Defienetly one of their best albums to date
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| Himedal Posts: 162  |
Originality deserves a 10. Simply because they are the origin of atmospheric black metal together with Burzum.
---- What goes by is life to be taken The doom calls upon the forsaken
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 |
Written by Himedal on 22.06.2013 at 12:41 That doesn't entirely make sense, if you think about it. This isn't one of their early albums I'm judging here, that may have done exactly what you said, this is material released this year. If we were looking back at some of Summoning's earlier material, then yes, it probably would deserve a higher rating in originality just because of how different it was for the time. But now, when you have sooooooooo many atmospheric black metal bands around today? It's very good (that's what the 8 is actually), but not anything to the point of "wow, this has never been done before!"
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Himedal Posts: 162 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 22.06.2013 at 15:55 Sorry but I cannot agree with you. Look, you can either say atmospheric is what introduced and described earlier and followed by other bands through time; or you can say atmospheric is what most bands play today regardless the origins and early introductions. As you say there are so many bands playing atmospheric but it doesn't mean the majority of bands can describe atmospheric "in a new way". The real atmospheric is introduced by Summoning and Burzum and they are the origins created it. What you say is like saying the originality of water is 8 because there are so many other drinks satisfying us, while we all know this is completely wrong in the first place. Water has its own place and satisfaction and can't be compared to other drinks. So is Summoning - comparing them to other bands in atmospheric is completely wrong. They created it and so they are original. 8 is good but they deserve 10.
---- What goes by is life to be taken The doom calls upon the forsaken
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 |
Written by Himedal on 23.06.2013 at 13:12 Perhaps, but what I more so meant is that I like to judge albums individually, as their own subjective experience, not in comparison to what came before. Just because a band may have been original in their creation of something doesn't necessarily mean they'll always follow up on that later down the road. Look at Megadeth
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Vombatus Potorro Posts: 2394  |
Sure Summoning created their own style, but I doubt they started all the atmospheric BM thingy, specially since they don't sound like other bands of that genre (and even less now that each release has less and less BM in it....). I do agree with your explanation Apothecary
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| BitterCOld The Ancient One Admin Posts: 15294  |
It ceases to be original if just copying shit they've been doing for decades, even if they "created" that style. and no point arguing... 2/3 of this dude's votes are 9 or 10, only thing dropping is rating average is tanking the bands it's cool to tank. basically the warning signs i look for when deciding whether or not i take someone's opinion seriously... means ignore.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 |
Written by BitterCOld on 23.06.2013 at 19:00 My point exactly.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Himedal Posts: 162 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 23.06.2013 at 14:56 LOL. As a big fan and old follower of Megadeth I have to agree with you. They were amazing but they really suck today. Just like Metallica and Anthrax. LOL. New wave of Thrash will soon take their place in everyone's memory. Good luck my friend and keep writing.
---- What goes by is life to be taken The doom calls upon the forsaken
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| *!* Posts: 52  |
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 |
Written by *!* on 05.07.2013 at 02:09 I kinda hear it, but not much I would say.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Mattybu Posts: 2589  |
Written by [user id=4365] on 23.06.2013 at 20:44 I would agree with this but people's lives (I'm assuming more than just mine?) are also ruled by laziness cause man reading a whole review ain't nobody got time fo dat. even though people do it's faster to glance at a score sometimes.
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| sergiod0999 Posts: 16 |
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