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True Black Dawn > Come the Colorless Dawn > Reviews
True Black Dawn - Come the Colorless Dawn

Average album from would-be legends. - 61%

ConorFynes, August 20th, 2016

There's a capital bands earn simply for being around for a long time. Some of the most legendary bands in the black metal underground have less than a full-length to their name, despite having entered the picture when things first started cooking. While the name True Black DawnBaptism, Enochian Crescent and the almighty Archgoat share ties with this band, and True Black Dawn has technically outlived most of them.

Beginning in 1992 as Nocturnal Feast, they soon became Black Dawn, until a legal dispute resulted in their amending the name to its current incarnation. This lengthy history and integration with the Finnish scene belies the fact that True Black Dawn don't have a hell of a lot to show for their quarter-century in existence. Counting all incarnations, Come the Colorless Dawn is still only the second album they've released, not counting a string of quick demo material. Nonetheless, I've seen some reviewers praise this as some glorious comeback, as if True Black Dawn were ever heavyweights. Their debut Blood for Satan in 2001 was a solid observation in the traditional mould, but I don't think there were legions at beck and call for a follow-up.

Even if it's easy to give a band like this more credit than they probably deserve, it's little surprise that Come the Colorless Dawn puts their experience to good use. Here's a Finnish black metal album, pure and simple. The modern studio glean aside, True Black Dawn draws from a very traditional mould. Despite characteristically 21st century, orthodox melodic breaks throughout, True Black Dawn doesn't fall far from the roots that influenced them. In the vein of a restrained Marduk, they try to pair ups straightforward songwriting alongside riffs that occasionally get lost in their own chaos. The result is generally impressive, though I suspect True Black Dawn may have trouble standing apart from all the others drawing from their collective, frostbitten well.

I ended up listening to this album last night again with a few likeminded friends. It was interesting to hear my own opinion parroted back to me in short terms: "good, but generic." Considering there have been bands playing this kind of music for close to three decades at this point, I can excuse a close likeness to bands that have come before. I don't get the impression at any point that True Black Dawn were really trying to reinvent their own arena in making this album. The clean cut between Marduk's chaotic aggression and the sleekness of a more modern band like Watain shouldn't be fresh to anyone's ears, but there's no denying they know how to make it work to their advantage.

While a surprisingly effective intro and outro are available to bookend the album, True Black Dawn get things started on a great note with their album's title track. If "Come the Colorless Dawn" isn't the best cut from the work, it's at least certainly the album that best condenses everything that they are into a well-furnished barrage. The album's mood is furious more often than not; the only exceptions come when True Black Dawn follow through with melodic leads to disperse the hate. From a perspective of songwriting, there is virtually nothing here a black metal veteran could be surprised about. The chord progressions here have been well-weathered by countless bands since. Even if originality's never an essential part of making good new material, it definitely helps to distinguish a band from its competition.

As writers and musicians alike, True Black Dawn are set on rehashing those same dark gods as so many others. It's a good part of why I may not remember them a month from now, but credit must be given where it's due. On top of the excellent title track, "Eyes of the Cadaver" sounds like a grimly atmospheric endgame for the overtly evil threads they touch upon throughout. Above all, I find myself most impressed with the vocals of Wrath, arguably better known as Drakh Wrath through his vocal work in Enochian Crescent. Even if the riffs promote a constant sense of déjà vu, I can't help but feel like Wrath totally nails the despondent, adversarial feelings True Black Dawn are meant to espouse. Honestly barring that there's not a lot to separate this from the next modern black metal album that comes along, but rest assured that those who already align themselves with the traditional mindset will find yet another refuge on Come the Colorless Dawn.