ALBUM REVIEW: A Dawn To Fear – Cult Of Luna

You could probably count on one hand how many bands exist today where there vocal presence is pretty much secondary, but CULT OF LUNA are one of them. The Swedes 20 year legacy in post-metal has seen them stand as a six-piece able to build unnerving atmosphere in a record pretty much like no other. It makes them one of the more complex, hard to digest bands in their sector, but by the same token: makes them one of the most interesting too.

The bands 18 year insistence on sitting outside of the comfort zone of, pretty much any alternative genre has seen the sextet become a beacon for post metal. The term ‘expect the unexpected’ generally has quite a loose, bland meaning when applied to alternative music – but such is the scope of CULT OF LUNA‘s musical brush that the phrase seems quite fitting here. That’s mostly down to pre-existing fans of the band already being fully aware of the bands expansive tropes, but never particularly sure with where they plan to go with them in the next record.

A Dawn To Fear is a reliable box ticker for CULT OF LUNA fans. Eight tracks and 78 minutes of expansion that you can’t help but question how it was concocted, but still be in awe of the bands mystique regardless. Picking apart the bones of the record is a challenge in itself – is it the placid, cold tone of The Silent Man you’d like to delve into? Or the solemn, gut check that is the 15 minute marathon Lights On The Hill? A Dawn To Fear is purposefully inaccessible – it’s impossible to passively enjoy this record.

Of course, this is actually one of the greatest hooks CULT OF LUNA have at their disposal. Much like with the latest TOOL endeavour, you know full well you’re getting on board for a musical experience here – and it’s one that has its fair share of thrills. Where Nightwalkers has the rampant force that makes CONJURER such an interesting force in metal, We Feel The End sits at the complete other end of the spectrum as one of the more poised, disturbing tracks the Swedes have ever coughed up. So few bands are able to build poetic atmosphere within their musical storytelling as CULT OF LUNA, and A Dawn To Fear is a pin point example of this.

What CULT OF LUNA have created here is exactly what their loyal, devoted fan base would have demanded. This is a band that are still finding ways to unsettle their own blueprint almost two decades since their first record. And when you consider that the six-piece have arguably always found themselves within the confines of post-metal, their ability to still manage to shake things up is beyond commendable. A Dawn To Fear makes no attempt at easing in new listeners, this is CULT OF LUNA: uncompromising, and incomparable.

Rating: 8/10

A Dawn To Fear is set for release September 20th via Metal Blade Records.

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