Pray for Doom

With nearly 30 years under their belt, I don't think anyone can really question the commitment or sincerity of Germany's Dawn of Winter as a 'true doom' metal act. Perhaps not the most prolific of their peers, releasing but one full-length album every decade on the '8th' (and really 9th) year; but there is nothing remotely trendy here on Pray for Doom, just a band that sticks with a classic formula and hones in on the how to deliver that with clarity and potency. This is very clearly doom of the dreary Sabbath mold, where simplicity is effectiveness, yet translated a bit further through the Gothic stylings that Swedish bands like Candlemass or Memory Garden, brewed up from the tears of the 80s and 90s, the same era in which this band itself was also manifest.

That being said, after listening through this album a number of times, I've come away only with a very mundane reaction, because unfortunately Dawn of Winter writes some of the most saccharine, predictable sorts of riffs for the genre. Bolt and loud, perhaps, but so minimalist in their composure that they feel like they're simply paying homage to their own style and not truly hooking in the listener, much less dimming his or her skies with the rolling-in of mournful clouds. You know where each and every riff is going as soon as you hear it, and while occasionally on a metal riff that can be a good thing with a convincing enough, thriving energy, here it's a bit of a drag. They'll often dress it up with a slightly thundering, tribal pattern as in "Woodstock Child", but as you start to finally feel some of that electric, melancholic chill coursing over your being, it flattens out into some pretty pedestrian songwriting that just makes me want to listen to Nightfall again, where it felt fresh. The instruments all sound exactly as they should, perhaps even a little too clean, but here it's really just a matter of not taking any risks on interesting chord progressions, leads or melodies.

It doesn't help that Gerrit P. Mutz' vocals just don't stand out for me in the field. Ironic, since some of his earlier power metal outings with Sacred Steel gave me the opposite reaction: sticking out too much in the wrong way. You're not going to get any of his insane wailing through this material, he reins his pitch in to respectfully match the style of this band, but the voice just lacks the supreme passion and eeriness of the best doom front-men, there is little agony or despair to be wrought from the lines, even though he's a competent craftsman at phrasing them out. Combine that performance with the stolid pacing and production, and the lack of any real surprises once the first few tracks have marched past you like a pair of stone oxen pulling a cart along, and you've got yourself a pretty run of the mill doom experience which never truly plays up to its strengths. Even the lyrics are bland and often feel as if they were culled from a checklist of graveyard emotions and 'doom' imagery. Not bad, inoffensive, perhaps a dependable disc if you're a purist who just wants more of this particular traditional style, but I hardly had my soul crushed listening through it.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Dawn Of Winter is one of traditional doom’s darlings. With this release, one thing is clear: they only release a full-length every 10 years. Knowing that, it’s very fitting that the album was titled “Pray For Doom”, as that’s exactly what fans have been doing since their last release in 2008.

Plodding riffs and mournful vocals are the name of the game. Simple and catchy song structures with excellent hooks. This is one of those bands that will have you singing along, almost jovially, to their miserable psalms. At this point, I’m not sure Dawn Of Winter can even write a bad song. They simply have a formula that works and they stick to it with great effect.

Vocalist Gerrit Mutz has always been a highlight. His odd, nasal vocals are unmistakable. They’re also probably the biggest turn-off for outsiders of the band, but that is half the fun when it comes to traditional doom metal. The riffs are simple, slow, and chunky. Very classic heavy metal inspired, recalling bands like Candlemass and Trouble. Never quite upbeat, but never quite funeral dirges either. Rhythms you will nod and stomp along with.

There are no surprises here and that is the only thing keeping this album from being higher on my list. That being said, there is a reason that Dawn Of Winter is a genre staple and one of the many bands named off in Reverend Bizarre’s legendary “The Goddess Of Doom”. These guys seriously know what they are doing and they do it with the expertise you’d expect.

In 2018, our prayers for doom were granted.

Considering Dawn of Winter’s glacial approach to traditional doom, it only makes sense for these Germans to release a new full-length album once every decade. Pray for Doom is full of the post-Vitus quirks that longtime fans expect, as extremely drawn out riffs are set to trudging tempos while gleefully sinister vocals warble above them. The fact that the lineup has remained unchanged in twenty-five years further reinforces the band’s commitment to their chosen aesthetic.

The musicians themselves have also held up well in that time. As indicated by the new albums Battleroar and Angel of Damnation also released in 2018, Gerrit P. Mutz’s voice sounds great and he has more control over his Reagers-style wail than ever before. The guitar also maintains its rawness though its cavernous tone results in a more bottom-heavy sound than past albums. On the flip side, the rhythm section doesn’t get too many standout moments, but the drums are consistently solid.

This solidness can also be seen in the songwriting. While the songs all revolve around the same sluggish pacing, there are enough individual traits to keep them from sounding interchangeable. “A Dream Within a Dream” starts things off on an appropriate dirge that becomes a more active chug on tracks like “The Thirteenth of November” of “The Sweet Taste of Ruin.” The title track may also be the band’s best ballad-oriented track yet and the percussive touches of “The Orchestra Bizarre” make for a fascinating outlier.

Seeing how Dawn of Winter was seemingly started for the sake of creating Saint Vitus comfort food, it’s safe to say their third full-length album scratches that old itch. While 1998’s In the Valley of Tears may still be the band’s defining effort, it’s great to see the musicians sound this good and comfortable on Pray for Doom. Hopefully, the world won’t be too doomed when they come back around in 2028…

Highlights:
“A Dream Within a Dream”
“The Thirteenth of November”
“The Sweet Taste of Ruin”
“Pray for Doom”

Originally published at http://indymetalvault.com