Maximum Metal Rating Legend
5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

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The best way to determine how much you may like certain music is to listen to it yourself.
Band
Before The Dawn
Title
My Darkness
Type
LP/EP
Company
Locomotive Music
YOR
2003
Style
Gothic/Symphonic
11/3/2005 - Review by: Ken Pierce
Before The Dawn - My Darkness - 2003 - Locomotive Music

Track Listing
1. Intro
2.Unbrakeable
3.Seraphim
4.My Darkness
5.Take My Pain
6.Father And Son
7.Alone
8.Angel
9.Undone
10.Human Hatred
11.04:16am
This CD would be my introduction to Before The Dawn and like most listeners these days I approach new things with equal levels of curiosity and hesitation. When I find a band that I have never heard of before I am sometimes afraid of what will be discovered when I play the CD for the first time. However when I placed the copy of “My Darkness” in the changer this was not to be the case. Beginning with a slight intro piece the groove laid out in “Unbrakeable” just hooked me instantly. When the dirty growls of Toumas Saukkonen came in I was sold.

The CD has many different things going on in its favor. They use both styles of singing mixing the clean with the dirty to some effect. Most of the instrumentation is programmed and under the direction of Saukkonen making this project pretty much under his command almost like Trent Reznor would do with his group Nine Inch Nails. While this tended to lean towards the Gothic end for me, I felt a lot of Doom mixed with Black was an inspiration as well in its composition. The riffs are nice and heavy and the drumming solid throughout this mostly catchy CD (but the drums are programmed). I felt compelled to listen to the whole CD a few times before I could come up with words on it and key tracks for me were “My Darkness”, “Unbrakeable” and “Take My Pain”. I do admit a sense of lying to readers though since I pretty much enjoyed the whole piece more than just a few referenced tracks.

As this CD is an import, it might be wise to search some back bins or look for a copy on Amazon.com so you might be able to get it a little cheaper. It truly is worth looking into for those that lean towards the Gothic edge. I look forward to the groups follow-up and hope it is as good as this one was. The booklet inside the digipak CD case includes all the lyrics which I always enjoy. This is a recommended piece.

Rating: 9/10

-- Ken Pierce 11.04.05


  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    N/A :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: BEFORE THE DAWN
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
My Darkness
2003
Locomotive Music
Ken Pierce11/3/2005
-

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: BEFORE THE DAWN
INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE


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