ALBUM REVIEW: Peace & Doom Session Vol. II – Purple Dawn
Hailing from the splendorous Gothic city of Köln (Cologne), PURPLE DAWN‘s sunlight rises from the depths of darkness and bathes the Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus in a purple, coloured and delightfully sinister shadow. This unstoppable German riff machine rose to prominence with their debut release, 2020’s Peace & Doom, which was well received by the doom and stoner community and gave the band the impetus to keep writing songs. With a sound heavily rooted in psychedelic saturated doom metal and with a mixture of influences from BLACK SABBATH and PENTAGRAM to ORANGE GOBLIN and WINDHAND, the trio know how to pack punchy riffs alongside epic melodies. Peace & Doom Session Vol. II tells the tales of nomadic desert rituals, revolution, misguided minds and the intrinsic evil that lives in all human beings; PURPLE DAWN create a dark, ominous and eerie atmosphere that closes in all around you, as well as taking you on a strange, surreal trip through the psychedelic shadows.
Opening up with the ominous Bonganchamun, PURPLE DAWN waste no time in rolling out the big menacing riffs. The album is packed with infectious heavy bluesy grooves and melodic, Phrygian mode spell craft. This, combined with the fuzz of warming valve amplifiers, makes Peace & Doom Session Vol. II an enchanting and entrancing album. Channelling the old school doom gods and the gospels of their modern apostles, PURPLE DAWN show rather impeccably that they are very much well educated disciples of the genre. With that in mind, it is incredible how tight and cohesive the band are despite only existing for two years, demonstrating their musical chemistry and dedication to their craft.
The band also bring their own distinct and unique style to this shadowy altar of darkness, with each individual riff packing a significant punch whilst the spellbinding psychedelics add dynamic variation as they organically evolve through the fuzz filled thunder of the proceeding doom riffs. There is something invigorating about the band’s revival of an old school sound. This record has a natural and infectious push/pull feel to it, which harkens back to the legendary records of the 1970s where it was just four blokes in a room thrashing out the songs and relying on their musical chemistry and band rehearsals. Each song has an edge to it; the band have a hunger to prove themselves and in many ways have succeeded in their aim to deliver ball busting riffs for the masses.
With uniqueness squarely in mind, each song brings something new to the table. However one song is out of place on the album. Power To The People, despite being a rousing tune about standing up for against the evil in the world, disrupts the album’s spooky psychedelic flow somewhat and doesn’t stand up to the high standards of the rest of the album. Despite that, you definitely get your money’s worth from the rest of the album. The Moon Song is a nine-minute ominous ritual that worships the light of the moon that cascades upon a cold, black desert. Bonganchamun and Bonganchamun Pt. II contain the heaviest BLACK SABBATH influence, with the former reminding listeners of the iconic Sabbath Bloody Sabbath with its main riff.
Old Fashion Black Madness is a balls to the wall, explosive metal track that captures an occult-like atmosphere and makes you a slave to its rhythm, whilst Death To A Dying World takes you far out to space through a purple haze of melancholic psychedelia. Kaleidoscopic reverbs and flanges swirl around your head taking you away in to space for eight tranquil minutes. 100 Years A Day channels everything good about pounding caveman riffs and is a hulking beast of despair.
PURPLE DAWN have come a long way already in the two years since their inception, showing drive and passion to deliver big riffs to the world. Overall, Peace & Doom Session Vol. II is an exciting development in the band’s career as they begin to hone their sound and discover more about their already vast stoner/doom capabilities. This album will delight both lovers of the old school and those looking for something a bit rougher than your usual hard rock records.
Rating: 8/10
Peace & Doom Session Vol. II is set for release on March 11th via Electric Valley Records.
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