Mourning Dawn - For The Fallen

One of the things about Doom Metal that i have always loved is when the scene seems to be getting a little stale,something comes along that kicks you in the ass.This the second album from "Mourning Dawn" is one of those releases."Mourning Dawn" from France play a blackened kind of Doom that leaves you exhausted and devastated.They are a bit different from the norm in Doom Metal as they use some blast beats but this is still primarily a bleak heavy as hell Doom album.The harrowing songs on this album don't let up throughout its 70 minute running time and they have a slightly unique modern spin that they incorporate on all the tales of Doom and woe on this album.From the first track " In Flanders Fields" the atmosphere is set with a song that is a exercise in torture and darkness."God Damn The Sun" has a crushing riff before it moves into a spooky spoken word section that just adds to the horror filled tale.Just when you think you have heard it all,the tempo shifts into a Doom Groove ridden section that gives off a certain amount of tension before coming to a fitting climax.While these are great tracks,the album actually gets better the further you get into the album.On track five the band is joined by Marquis (Jonathon They) of label mates Hyadiningar (and many others) who take the microphone for a guest appearance.At this point in the album,the songs actually get even stronger,the title track and "Death Youth" are monumental examples of classic depressive Doom.These two tracks alone make up 25 minutes of the album and are epic to the extreme.Five of the seven songs are close to or beyond the 10 minute mark but the tracks never drag and keep your attention right to the end.The band is firmly entrenched in the Black Doom sound but they take it to another level but if there is two things that might stop you from digging this to death.First point is the production,at times it sounds a little weak and the other problem as i see it is there is no much light and shade.It is rather one dimensional but for this style of Metal.it don't come much better than this.The above two criticisms is what stops me from giving this a 10 rating but this album wont be for everyone.I am just enough into this amount of bleakness and despair in Doom Metal to crave bands like this but its a acquired taste.Musically brutally awesome,pity about the production though.Still it deserves at least a 9/10 for sheer depressive value.



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