Review Summary: Formed in 1996, alternative metal band Black Dawn is still together making music, performing live, and dropping their latest CD, “Until We Meet”.
Long Island, NY, alternative metal band Black Dawn was formed in 1996 and has consisted of the same four members ever since: Matt Kotten (lead guitar/vocals), Tom Kelly (rhythm guitar), James Lane (bass guitar) and Enzo DiPaolo (drums). Along the way they've played shows and released tapes (remember cassettes?) and CDs. Now fast forward to eighteen years later. The band is still together making music, performing live, and dropping their latest CD, "Until We Meet" (Blue Pie Records).
Clocking in a bit below the thirty minute mark the five songs included on their latest release are all written by Kotten. In the true Ernest Hemingway tradition his lyrics are simple and direct, devoid of unnecessary adjectives and blunt. Instead of flourish and pretence the singer/songwriter goes for the passion and emotion when assembling his sparsely chosen words. Like the accompanying music they're minimal but intense.
Lane and DiPaolo lock their respective instruments to form the foundation for Kelly and Kotten to build their riffs, very much in the vein of Mastodon's Troy Sanders and Godsmack's Shannon Larkin. While avoiding empty frills and vying for a visceral solidness in their sound they do have a weakness for indulging in sometimes overly long song openings leaning toward the progressive concepts side on most of the tracks. It can be a bit like waiting for Godot minus the Samuel Beckett existentialism.
Both the rhythm and lead guitar playing rely more on layering the licks than reciprocal counterpoint. It's a safe approach that works well for what I believe the band is trying to achieve on this record, but I think it would be interesting to hear what these six-stringers could come up with if they pushed the envelope a bit more. Perhaps even going in a direction a bit more like Tool's Adam Jones. But then again - maybe not.
Although I've not had a chance to hear the Black Dawn play live "Until We Meet" does sound like they're mosh-pit worthy. You can check it out and stream it in its entirety (http://www.reverbnation.com/blackdawnband) to make up you mind. If you hear what you like then of course you can always buy it (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/until-we-meet-ep/id891653273).
