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Review: Dark At Dawn - Of Decay And Desire
Dark At Dawn
www.dark-at-dawn.de
Of Decay And Desire

Label: AFM Records
Year released: 2003
Duration: 45:20
Tracks: 12
Genre: Power Metal

Rating:
4.9/5


Review online: December 12, 2004
Reviewed by: 4th Horseman
Readers' Rating
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Rated 4/5 (80%) (8 Votes)
Review

When it comes to darkened power metal, nobody tells the Germans how it is done. This is their domain and Dark At Dawn make full use of home court advantage. Damn, what a killer album this is! I am left in awe after listening to this album about a hundred times. This is pretty much all I have been listening to as of late and can't get enough.

Musically, the closest comparison here is the American band Kamelot; somewhat that is. Dark At Dawn have extremely melodic guitar leads, backed by a second guitar playing really, really crunchy riffs. But the main thing that sets this band apart are the vocals. They are definitely what give them the edge of uniqueness. Vocalist "Buddy" Kohlrausch has a very rough, heavy and low voice. They are almost throatily brutal, but are still somehow 'clean'. And these vocals sing some magical melodies that you just can't get enough of. The riffs are neither aggressive nor choppy however; and as for the melodic leads, a comparison can again be made to Kamelot (you know how Kamelot overuses the guitar as if it is a keyboard or a violin or something strictly for mimicking vocal melodies and nothing else).

With two exceptions, every track on here is just amazing. If you are in the mood for something really melodic, you will be humming along to these songs by the second go around. The chorus on "Rose of Tears" is perhaps the best I've heard all year. "Forever" delivers another killer chorus, as does "Luna" or "Sleepwalker"…ah hell…most of the choruses just slay! "The 5th Horseman" as much as I'd like to enjoy it, does not do much for me however, and "Maid of Stone" sounds very much like a song from Godsmack. The verse part of this song is quite annoying actually. Hence, this album falls short of perfection as a result of these two tracks.

A great discovery for me nevertheless, and I would gladly recommend this album to anybody seeking some very melodic songs with a dark and sad edge to it.

More about Dark At Dawn...
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Review: Dark at Dawn (reviewed by 4th Horseman)
Review: Dark at Dawn (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Of Decay And Desire (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
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