I love black metal – especially when it’s imbued with an atmosphere that oscillates between heroic highs and guttural lows. But finding quality records with dynamic songs that touch me on an emotional level can be harder than finding a needle in a Norwegian snowstorm. Jorn knows I’ve dipped my crusty hands into the mire countless times, only to pull out a third or fourth generation piece. Emperor Copy put together by a couple of kids who are in 300 other bands I’ve never heard of either. I’ve been patiently waiting for a band that has the hooded skills to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great atmo-black bands I adore like Agalloch, Alcest, Panopticon and, if I may say so, Tauber sky. It was as if Odin himself had heard my prayers, as On the Dawn steered its mighty Saxon hull into my harbor with an album as wild, beautiful, stirring and unforgettable as anything I’ve heard in years. What makes this album such a gem? Set your black eyes forward.
On the Dawn is a “solo, anti-fascist black metal project” by London-born Ross Connell. Bloom and decay is the project’s second release and the first to feature vocals from Mr. Connell, who proves to be an impressive and passionate singer. He balances urgency and angst with an emotional nuance that elevates the songs above most of his contemporaries. His opening scream on “Idolator” is bloodcurdling in the best possible way, but he channels that rage into the verse with a near-melodic delivery that will have your heart pounding in your throat. On his previous release, 2021’s The burial of the deadall vocalizations were in the form of excerpts from poems, particularly “Wasteland” by TS Elliot. Bloom and decay still benefits from numerous carefully curated samples, but the vocals add a very welcome dimension to the landscape.
The majority of Bloom and decay is instrumental, but you hardly notice it because the music has such a narrative quality. To paraphrase the release notes: It takes you through the “cycles of life and death, grief and glory, hope and melancholy.” And while most black metal bands promise some form of this, On the Dawn delivers in abundance. The opening minutes of “Sunchaser” provide a prelude to everything to come, with delicate melodies building to heroic tremolos that feel victorious one moment and sad the next. The track segues perfectly into “Idolator,” which somehow combines compelling black metal riffs with a devastating metalcore-style breakdown and a finger-tapping guitar solo. It works, check it out! Check it out Bloom and decayyou can’t help but feel it’s leading up to something. That something is the title track, and one of the most uplifting and inspiring songs I’ve ever heard. It’s a monster closer to the album, gliding through some of the best, most melodic blackened guitar work you’ve ever heard. But the coup de grace is the masterfully placed sample of Charles Bukowski’s “The Laughing Heart” read by Tom Waits. The poem, which emphasizes how life’s soul-crushing low points can be balanced by shimmering moments of light, perfectly delivers an emotional high point that makes you want to wipe your brow, take a breath, flip the record over, and start over.
A large part of me wanted to give this record a 5.0, but the objective voice in my head (and the thought of Steel‘s boot on my neck) convinced me to take a step back and reconsider. As good as the good stuff is, there are areas that could be trimmed. Oddly enough, the first single, “Sky Burial,” appeals to me the least. “Iron Price,” with its heavily political and meandering “fuck you” speech, may turn some listeners off, but the ferocity of the second half delivers serious chills that Panopticon. Although I love “The Oxbow Incident,” Henry Fonda’s speech before the last track delays my excitement rather than increasing it. Still, at 53 minutes, Bloom and decay is just the thing for this kind of epic black metal.
Bloom and decay not only contains great songs celebrating the highs and lows of the human experience, but it also sounds great. It has a bright and punchy production that will have you submerged under every cascading note and crashing tidal wave. For fans of black metal and certainly post-black metal, black gaze and atmo black (and any other hip genre you want to add) On the Dawn have released a must-have record. Prepare to set sail for greatness!
Evaluation: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Verified format: 2116kbps
Label: liminaldreadproductions.com
Website: dawntreaderuk.bandcamp.com
Publications worldwide: 23 August 2024
