Album Review: Dawn Of Azazel - 'The Tides of Damocles'

17 April 2015 | 5:29 am | Staff Writer
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Progressive metal with aggression and passion.

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Hailing from New Zealand, Dawn of Azazel started out bombarding the listener with blistering black metal. These days, though, they have taken on a more progressive death metal route and bring us their fourth full length album, ‘The Tides of Damocles.’

The title of first track, ‘Strike First, Strike Hard, Strike Often,’ is incredibly fitting as it starts proceedings on a blisteringly, fast and hard hitting note. The pummelling drums, the angry growls and intense breakdowns that become a prominent theme throughout the album show us that these Trans-Tasman neighbours have all the imposing elements that make metal so engaging.

The blast beats are forceful and consistent with tracks like ‘Irresistible Foe’ where they feel like they might burst out of your speakers. The full-length is brutal, heavy but also includes some grooves and distortion, like the end of the aforementioned, which keep the album going and cut through that intense barrage of death metal.

‘The Tides of Damocles’ also sprinkle melodic solos which again contrast with the vicious death metal sounds and heavy themes, adding some more technicality. It manages to not lean too much on the death or black metal side but rather takes on a more progressive sound for Dawn of Azazel, implementing new sounds for the band.

As the album comes to a close on ‘Tarnished Gold’ you feel like your have just successfully manoeuvred your way through a war zone with such violent sounds and aggressive themes.

'The Tides of Damocles' is aggressive, brutal while still incorporating grooves and melodies to make a more modern and progressive sound for Dawn of Azazel. The blast beats are furious, the vocals raw and emotional and all backed up by driving riffs and solos. This album is definitely a standout work for a band appealing to a large fan base.

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Strike First, Strike Hard, Strike Often

Irresistible Foe

Vassalplasty

The Odious Tides

Forever Enduring, Always Ready

Controlled Burn

Progeny Of Pain

The Eagles Grasp

Damocles

Tarnished Gold