Info
- Band(s): True Black Dawn
- Label(s): World Terror Committee
- Release Format(s): 12" vinyl, CD
- Release Year: 2024
- Review Date: January 15, 2025
- Author(s): FelixS
Taking a look at the current, former and live musicians who are or have been involved with True Black Dawn actually reads like a kind of who-is-who of the Finnish (Black) Metal scene. A random and non-complete selection from the large pool of affiliated bands include, among others …And Oceans, Trollheims Grott, Enochian Crescent, Korgonthurus, Maveth, Cryptborn, Ymir, Chamber Of Unlight, Horna, Bythos, Throes Of Dawn, Alghazanth, Lie In Ruins, Warmoon Lord, Archgoat, Rotten Sound, Flame, Aegrus, Gorephilia, Phlegein, Barren Earth, Omnium Gatherum and Swallow The Sun.
While this seems like a pointless enumeration, it does contain an important part of True Black Dawn’s identity. Not only is the band’s music a mishmash of various influences and ingredients, but it is also certainly plausible that True Black Dawn’s low productivity is due to the many other bands and projects the musicians participate in. ‘Of Thick-Circling Shadows’ is the follow-up to ‘Come The Colorless Dawn’, released in 2016, and although it has now been an eight-year wait, before that it was even 15 years apart. But, it must be said, when the heads are then put together, you can be sure that quality will be delivered. ‘Of Thick-Circling Shadows’ is no exception to that rule. Right?
Despite the eight years that have now passed since ‘Come The Colorless Dawn’, the band shows in the 45 minutes or so that it has not forgotten the intricacies of True Black Dawn. It is a delight of pretty slick and well-produced Black Metal with a good dose of melody. It indeed goes down rather easily in terms of ear-friendly structures, riffs and melodies, consequently the music fits well within the pacy and Melodic Black Metal of today. If we would go for a bit of a deeper analysis, the main difference between the previous work and ‘Of Thick-Circling Shadows’ is that the melodic parts have now taken over in even bigger portions. That, of course, is part of the attraction and the stronger connection to contemporary Melodic Black Metal. Yet, polishing off the last bits of rawness also makes that the music feels a bit stale here and there. Even the faster parts do not completely wash off the feeling of too much smoothness and compromising to radio-friendly material.
When the last bits of the closing ‘The End Of Our Age’, with a true Melodic Doom spirit, fades, it feels as if the album took way over an hour, while the actual playing time just hits the 45 minute mark. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the album just drags on, but filing off the sharp edges does make everything start to sound a bit alike and the music goes in one ear and it falls out unnoticed at the other. In short, it is a good album by arguably excellent musicians and song writers, but there is definitely a downside to this approach.
