Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Class of 2012: Dawnbringer - Into The Lair Of The Sun God

Dawnbringer, led by Chris Black (former bassist for Nachtmystium, current drummer for Pharaoh, also fronts Superchrist and High Spirits), plays classic-sounding heavy metal.  I wouldn't be surprised if Eddie Trunk were a fan.

Into The Lair Of The Sun God is a concept record about a man who sets out to kill the sun.  We learn this toward the end of "I" (the songs are simply titled Roman numerals I-IX) with the lyric "I am the one / to murder the sun."  The songs proceed to tell a tragic tale, but I won't give anything away.  Consider it your assignment to listen and figure it all out.

For me, this album can be divided into halves.  Tracks "I" through "IV" represent the better half.  The songs are faster, and the guitar playing is more impressive.  This half sounds like a heavy metal guitar record without going overboard or over-indulging.

Track "V" is the transition song.  Although it's a power ballad, it could be the end of the first half or the beginning of the second half.  This song could've been a hit during the heyday of hair metal.

The rest of the album is considerably slower than the first half.  That's not to say that these songs aren't any good, for they are solid through the end.  They do, however, feel inferior to the earlier tracks.

If you liked 2010's Nucleus, then you should enjoy Into The Lair Of The Sun God.  It sounds like heavy metal from a bygone era, yet it doesn't simply feel like an uninspired retread.

Grade: B  (84.0%)

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