Album Review: Dawn - Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher

Dawn - Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher

Necropolis Records - 1994

8/10

It’s always interesting to dig into black metal bands that had a small hand in death metal, as they tend to be more riff-oriented without feeling like a blatant first-wave throwback. Sweden’s Dawn only have a few full-lengths to offer, with some demos alongside and a few recent compilations, yet they seem to be pretty impactful to the scene. The first album in particular is what struck a chord with me. Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher is its title, one that my monolingual American ass will not attempt to pronounce for you.

Being nearly 50 minutes in length, Dawn are going to need to be good at keeping the attention, and immediately that’s a standout ability of theirs that I can appreciate. All of the instruments have such a loud presence without competing amongst themselves, letting solos feel sharp while the drums pop high above the surface with a nice echo when used for fills. This clarity further lets the melodic riffs make themselves more known, which are used incredibly to contrast the straightforward, blasting drums and rumbly bass. All of this is rather advantageous for sporting stronger songwriting.

Hell, the bass alone is even good at being merely felt when needed vs. taking a forefront. “Diabolical Beauty” works in wonderful phases, containing some of the sharpest fills with both the drums and bass. On the other hand, opener “Eyesland” (Iceland?) lets the bass take the reins along with the guitar chops, double teaming for a neat effect. Moreover, this band is very good at timing its quieter spaces between the louder eruptions, trading melody and aggression under the same type of energy. Doomier sections have a nice accent, such as with “In The Depths Of My Soul.” I’ll admit, some songs might repeat passages a little longer than they need to, but this is a minor complaint.

Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher seems to present a theme of me calling it “sharp,” and that’s really the best way to sum it up. They craft a very rare brand of black metal that stylistically fits in with the second wave bands, but has the accessibility of the first-wave bands, and clarity in every area. It’s certainly a disc worth having minimal distractions while listening, and it may take a couple spins to truly settle in. My kind of black metal!