Reviewed by Tom Young

Glendale, Arizona's Darkness Before Dawn have set the bar high for themselves. Many bands fail to establish such a defining sound with their debut but, as soon as the first power chord rings out from the opening track, "Monster Condo", one is grappled by the throat by the insanely fast guitar riffs and mind-blowing drumming. But if you are thinking DBD are like every other death metal outfit that can play their instruments super fast then you are mistaken. Throughout the album synths create an atmosphere and a platform for the guitars to work upon, giving the dark songs an even more mystical sound. Beyond the tight guitar harmonies and solos, the fast paced drumming and the deep sound of a down-tuned bass, is the ever powerful voice of front man Logan, whose range of screams, squeals and growls never cease to amaze. Every track on this 11 track long album is fresh and exciting. Having said that it can be stated with confidence that the standout tracks are, "Kings To You", "Die To Yourself" and "Material Existence". Now the band need to match this album with a follow-up. And that, for sure, is not going to be easy.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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