After reading my archaic essay for Dawn Of Relic's third album 'Night on Earth', I felt great urge to revisit the band. I am glad I found my diary covering some misty tides of time...

August 29th, 2005, around noon

Finally, after a two and a half year of waiting, H.P. Lovecraft inspired dark metallers from Oulu, Dawn Of Relic, have awaken from their slumber and risen from the nethermost caverns of Northern Finland and delivered us their new album, entitled 'Night on Earth'. What a day of utter joy! I am looking for a total fulfillment! Ahhh. Life is good.

August 29th, 2005, afternoon

Oh Great Old Ones, what on Earth happened to Dawn Of Relic?!?! They went all melodic death/thrash metal here (from a melodic black metal band rather similar to many fellow Finns of the era, to a band who later incorporated some gothic elements)! This was not a fulfillment, not even close. Alas, the album is so short, too, just under half an hour. The previous one, enchantingly varying 'Lovecraftian Dark' (2003) was twice as long! Sard!!! Look at that very disappointing cover art: It's modern 3D graphics and tells something about the music indeed; this is the most modern-sounding DOR album to date. I. Am. Not. Transfixed. With. Horror. Ah well, time for tea and something to soothe my ears with.

September 6th, 2005

I needed to recollect my thoughts. I was... in deep waters. In R'lyeh, you see, nipped there to meet my old friends who wait for Cthulhu's awakening. That old poor bugger... I played the album to folk down there in one tavern, which is not to be named. Anyway, for my big surprise, they kind of liked this. And, I have to confess, being cockeyed as a cuttlefish, I... I knd of startd to like this. Now, being back from my underwater journey, I can hear the album much clearer.

September 25th, 2005

I got a telegraph from R'lyeh telling me that each and everyone, and everything, had ordered the whole Dawn Of Relic discography. Yes, even this album. They were having a real feast down there! Such a celebration that they had forgotten to invite me. So, I decided to join the ceremony telepathically. I promise I will tell more about it later. Now, let's party!

November 4th, 2005

Give me water!!! No, not that salty stuff! What a cavalcade of hammers pounding in my brain... I am literally, sweating salty water. I have a pair of gills grown into my cervix. And I was just telepathically joining them down under. Well, and I have to admit, that I have found good ol' trademark DOR atmospherics on this album. They appear in form of otherworldly melodiousness. They just aren't happening all the time, but more like giving listener hints that there's something lurking on the threshold, waiting for an invitation... after one has overcome the first shock, which was "how much of an basic melodic death metal album this sounds like!" There is more to it, believe me... I have warned you, remember that.

February 5th, 2006

But, as you know, with strange aeons even death may die, and thus died my revulsion towards the album. It took quite a bit of mastication, and many a tea time, let me tell you!

It was clear that the short instrumental track, 'The Evenfall', begins the album with familiar and easily recognizable, unique melodiousness, which is a definite DOR trademark. I did almost soiled myself, because of both positive and negative surprises, when the proper opener, 'Serpent Tongues', blasted through the speakers for the first time: This is a bloody energetic piece of extreme dark metal consisting of death and thrash, plus wonderfully weaved melodies. 'September & the One' has more than a few similarities with latter At The Gates, but once again that DOR's strongest trademark salvages a lot. Then, the savage pieces make way for slower, majestic 'Birth' which is prime DOR, and could have been on 'Lovecraftian Dark' album, and same could be said about the shadowy and more atmospheric stroll through 'Sinbred City' to the last song 'The Room of Paintings'. Another DOR trademark is the fantastic lead guitar work, which colours the entire album, popping up evey now and then. The synthesizers manage to raise occult vibe, even though they are pretty straightforward.

The vocals are handled by The Duskfall vokillist Kai Jaakkola. He succeeds in tearing out some inhuman growls out of himself, from real deep ones to Tomas Lingberg's barking style on 'September & the One' (or is it just the music that gives me this sensation, hmmm...). His tone perfectly fits with the music and there's well enough of power in his growls. He does sound quite like the fishmen when they are angry.

The band's performance is tight, and sound-wise this is good; hefty and punchy and it sounds like it was recorded with analog equipment. Only the snare drum sound is a bit powerless, but this is not a big deal.

'Nemesis' is the only song, that is directly influenced by Lovecraft, but there are links to his writings in some of the songs, e.g. 'Sinbred City'. Generally, the lyrics are about harsh reality depicted through Lovecraftian vibe. Maybe this was another "not like this!" moment for me at first.

During the first few listenings I gave to the album, 'Night on Earth' didn't do much more than leave me disenchanted, thanks to heaving of death and thrash elements, that are lacking of originality. However, soon I began to detect those cozy DOR elements and let out a a sigh of relief. There are no two similar DOR albums, as all three are conveniently different to each other. 'Night on Earth' still carries its own merits, and should be inspected by DOR fans, and those who are looking for something individual bits in melodic death/thrash. I lift 7 out of 10 tentacles for 'Night on Earth'.

May 7th, 2020

Throughout the years, I have occasionally had a listen to Dawn Of Relic (and been to those inimitable R'lyeh ceremonies, and still "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"). The band are still sounding pretty sarding unique to me. And what is better, I've began to really extol them trademark melodies, that are so unique, so unearthly and transcendental. They and brute death/thrashing alloy together remarkably well. Heavy-handed and pacy riffing is backed by hefty rhythm section. While modern (well, modern 15 years ago), the production is punchy and organic.

Something came over the threshold and... I simply have learned to love the album in all of its imperfection. All ye who seek for atmospheric death/thrash metal, 'Night on Earth' is now on your list of undertakings, am I correct??!??!

P.S. The band's whereabouts seem to be in the dark. Perhaps the feasting in R'lyeh is longer than ever before... I wish Dawn Of Relic would return. World needs more music like they conjured.

Rating: 9 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
05/07/2020 20:36