The Ghost

Before the Dawn are led by the guitar and vocals of Tuomas Saukkonen, who can spot a thick meaty metal riff and blood-curdling wail at any moment. "Disappear" is a great example of this, as Before the Dawn sound like some sonic stew made up of Alexisonfire, Rammstein, and Iron Maiden. Assisted by fellow guitarist Juho Räihä, the band isn't that hard on the ears, but is rather in some sort of melodic metal framework. A tad tighter is the brawny "Repentance," which grows in intensity and sounds like early Metallica, despite the brief atmospheric lull in the middle. Relentless, rampant, and at times rabid, Before the Dawn are at their best during the powerful, brooding "Fade Away," which again buries the vocals underneath the guitar and rhythm section. The galloping "Angels Tombston" is another plodding piece of work, with Aatu Mukka playing a large role behind the drum kit as the song moves through a series of twists and turns. It also seems to get a bit artsy during an interlude without guitar, before getting its second wind. Unfortunately, when they head into what sound like tired hard rock arrangements, as they do with "Black Dawn," it doesn't come off well. The chorus of this song has some redeeming qualities, but it's a waste given the weak framework. The band atones for this miscue with the beefy, deliberate, and well-crafted "Enemy," which breaks through the early tension with ease. The album's low point is "Ghost Town," a messy, punishing track that sounds far too busy and unfocused. Before the Dawn have more good songs than horrid ones here, concluding with another above-average dark metal number, "...Nowhere."