Dawn Of A Dark Age are a new project by two Italian guys, Vittorio ‘Eurynomos’ Sabelli (guitars, bass, drums & percussion, saxophone, clarinet, piano, keyboards, additional vocals, music, lyrics, and production; sole member of new project Suicidal Ruins, and member of R-Evolution Band) and Pierluigi ‘Buran’ D’Amario (lead vocals, both screaming and clean; also involved with, for example, Athanor, Rigor Mortis and Hellsteps). The intention is to create a series in six parts, based on the five basic elements (earth, water, fire, air, and spirit). Each album will deal with one of those as lyrical source of inspiration, plus a general one, and all of them will consist of six tracks. Every six months, the next opus will be released, if things turn out well. After a couple of listens to this first chapter, I hope these guys will succeed.
The first part in this sextet is The Six Elements, vol. I EARTH, dealing with (and now you smart ass will know the answer…): Earth indeed! The material was recorded during the month of February 2014, and mixed + mastered by Marcello Malatesta. The Six elements, vol. I EARTH lasts for thirty six minutes and brings quite some variation. The main part of the album is based on a, well, I’d like to call it ‘mechanised’ form of Black Metal, rather of the Post-Black kind, despite several traditional elements. Each single composition varies a lot in speed, with a quasi-sinister interaction in between doomy excerpts and lightning-fast eruptions. The rhythm section is very supportive, seen from a mostly pounding, intensive point of view, and this comes in good balance with the melodic leads. One might miss cohesion from time to time, and I do think that isn’t incorrect. The overload on variation might appear somewhat disturbing from time to time, and to get the whole concept might ask several listens. But believe me if I say that, after a while, once you start to dig deeper into this experience, you might have a clue of what beauty this record stands for. Besides, Dawn Of A Dark Age make use of elements from different other musical genres (not necessarily Metal-laden), such as Gothic, Folk, Shoegaze and Prog / Avant-garde, or operatically cinematic details. Yet in any case it sounds very naturally pure, organic, and when having Mater Terra’s body as subject of a first concept, this is just wonderful. Also the use of completely unusual instruments like clarinet, alto sax and baritone sax, are not habitual, but surely fitting.
Take some Necromantia, Abhor, early Aborym, Diabolicum, Wolves In The Throne Room and Sargeist, mixed with elements from John Zorn, Von Beethoven or Penderecki, and still you might not have a clue…
Final conclusion: this isn’t the ultimate top yet, but for a first result of a collaboration in between two driven guys, it is pretty interesting. The album is very promising, and I foresee a great future. The next album, which will be release in very early 2015 if everything evolves well, cannot but being more mature. I do look forward, that’s a certainty. Until then, we’ll have to do with a fine soundtrack that tributes Earth…