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When Dawnbringer released Nucleus in 2010, on Profound Lore, the metal community suddenly sat up and took notice, wondering where this band had been all their lives. With Into the Lair of the Sun God, the Chicago, IL metallers have once again produced a record that's as engaging as it is refreshing. Dawnbringer manage to capture a classic heavy metal sound without sounding retro, evoking the incomparable energy of a heavy metal anthem while making those traditional structures sound new again.
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| Photos by Carmelo Española. |
The songs are titled simply with Roman numerals corresponding to the track numbers; it's an ingenious tactic that forces the audience to listen more closely than usual to find the flow of the album's narrative, rather than drawing easy hints from the songs. The record's story arc follows the journey of a young assassin who has taken on a job that quickly spirals out of control.
The riffs ripple and crawl with anxious energy, while bassist/vocalist Chris Black (who also fronts Superchrist and High Spirits, and drums in Pharaoh) delivers a slightly grittier, darker performance than his usual fare. His slightly hoarse voice gives the lyrics a somewhat noir quality, while the instrumentation remains crisp and incandescently bright. Fans of Nucleus will not be disappointed.
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