DAWN OF SOLACE – FLAMES OF PERDITION
Dawn of Solace is to all intents and purposes the solo vehicle of Finnish doom metal hero Tuomas Saukkonen of Before the Dawn, Wolfheart, Black Sun Aeon, Routasielu and The Final Harvest. Saukkonen plays all instruments and provides “harsh vocals”. On this third album Mikko Heikkilä (of Kaunis Kuolematon) takes over from Lars Eikind in providing “clean vocals”.
This is reminiscent from that period in the 90s when some death metal and hardcore bands toned down the grind and added shades of gothic rock to their sound. This brings to mind the likes of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Type O Negative, along with the operatic doom metal of Candlemass or Trouble.
Occasionally, things get a touch leaden and the lyrics stick to typical goth/doom tropes but there are flashes of originality and invention. Erase combines intense double bass drums with soaring keyboards, Flames of Pedition mixes piano with martial drumming whilst Black Shoresgoes prog with a keyboard solo worthy of Marillion circa Script For A Jester’s Tear. The two closing – bonus – songs feature just guitar and vocals to good effect.
A decent album that anyone into the heavy stuff should check out.
7/10
