Reviewed - 10/05/04
Under
The Bleeding Sky
[Candlelight/Karmageddon]
Final Dawn hail from Finland. That probably won't surprise you since it's actually decreed by law that everyone in Finland has to be in a metal band. Final Dawn are one of those few bands from Finland that I would never have guessed was from Finland. You know how those Finnish bands always seem to have this level of catchiness that no one else has? Well, Final Dawn has it, but it wasn't obvious to me on the first listen… or the second… or even the third. I actually listened to this album quite a few times before I noticed "The Finnish Factor," but even then it's buried.
Yes, I have listened to this album quite a few times, but it isn't because it's such a great album. To be honest, I was waiting for something - anything - to jump out at me. Under the Bleeding Sky seemed downright pedestrian on my first few listens. Final Dawn may have successfully blended American brutality into their catchy Scandinavian melodic death, but it ends up coming across more like ordinary death thrash than I would have expected. The brutal growling vocals are probably the main reason for this, but quite honestly I don't find any of the riffs to be all that interesting in and of themselves. All of this is more than competently played, but ultimately it's not very engaging on the creative level. This album leaves very little impression on me whatsoever.
You could almost say that Final Dawn have mixed together the most ordinary elements of all of their influences into something that's exactly the sum of its parts. I mean, you can listen to some ordinary melodic death, or you could listen to some ordinary brutal death, or you could listen to a band mixing the two together… while still keeping it just as ordinary. That's kind of how I feel about Final Dawn. I want it to work, and they seem to have the skills necessary to make it work, but it just isn't very exciting. This might appeal to some of you who can't get enough death and thrash of all kinds, but I don't find Under the Bleeding Sky to be memorable in any way.
[Candlelight/Karmageddon]
Final Dawn hail from Finland. That probably won't surprise you since it's actually decreed by law that everyone in Finland has to be in a metal band. Final Dawn are one of those few bands from Finland that I would never have guessed was from Finland. You know how those Finnish bands always seem to have this level of catchiness that no one else has? Well, Final Dawn has it, but it wasn't obvious to me on the first listen… or the second… or even the third. I actually listened to this album quite a few times before I noticed "The Finnish Factor," but even then it's buried.
Yes, I have listened to this album quite a few times, but it isn't because it's such a great album. To be honest, I was waiting for something - anything - to jump out at me. Under the Bleeding Sky seemed downright pedestrian on my first few listens. Final Dawn may have successfully blended American brutality into their catchy Scandinavian melodic death, but it ends up coming across more like ordinary death thrash than I would have expected. The brutal growling vocals are probably the main reason for this, but quite honestly I don't find any of the riffs to be all that interesting in and of themselves. All of this is more than competently played, but ultimately it's not very engaging on the creative level. This album leaves very little impression on me whatsoever.
You could almost say that Final Dawn have mixed together the most ordinary elements of all of their influences into something that's exactly the sum of its parts. I mean, you can listen to some ordinary melodic death, or you could listen to some ordinary brutal death, or you could listen to a band mixing the two together… while still keeping it just as ordinary. That's kind of how I feel about Final Dawn. I want it to work, and they seem to have the skills necessary to make it work, but it just isn't very exciting. This might appeal to some of you who can't get enough death and thrash of all kinds, but I don't find Under the Bleeding Sky to be memorable in any way.
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Tracklist:
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| Rating: 6/10 | ||||||||||||||||
| Release Date: 2004 | ||||||||||||||||
| Length: 39:20 | ||||||||||||||||
| Review By: K. Ledbetter | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Reviews: (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| Bands Website: Go Here | ||||||||||||||||
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