ALBUM REVIEW: The Unknowing – Dawnwalker
Mark Norgate’s emotionally charged, melodically driven take on progressive doom rock/metal draws comparisons to heavyweights like ANATHEMA, PORCUPINE TREE, HAKEN, and KATATONIA. Yet, in The Unknowing, Norgate and his band, DAWNWALKER, carve out a sound that’s becoming their signature. This nine-track collection showcases the group’s ability to blend doom with ethereal, progressive soundscapes—without relying on the usual tropes of faux-gothic lyrics.
For the past twelve years, underground British progressive champions DAWNWALKER have built an impressive and explorative discography, see-sawing between the fringes of metal and rock, with no two records helming a similar approach. Remaining triumphantly independent, the brainchild of Norgate has blossomed from a collaborative studio project into a revered live entity. The Unknowing, their sixth album, is a concept record meditating on grand themes concerning our shared search for belonging, and our desire to know our place in this vast, hostile, and unknowable universe.
The album begins with Sofia Sourianou‘s siren-like voice luring in the listener, as glistening piano and soft spattering drums set the scene on opener Thema Mundi, a multi-layered track that sets the stage for a transcendent experience. The pace throughout the album ranges from slow to slower, yet every note is carefully placed, creating a tension that lingers long after each track ends. Norgate‘s guitar work is a standout, as pronounced and deliberate as any in the doom genre, but infused with a depth and emotion that lifts the music beyond its heavy foundations.
The second track, Capricorn, starts with the haunting line, “Came of lowly birth into a world with nothing at all.” Chris J. Allan’s drumming plods with intent, each beat accentuating Norgate’s clear, cutting vocals, while the underlying synths add an unsettling discord. Acting as a mantra for the entire record, its chorus—”Called forth on that lonely road, march on further into the unknown“—is underscored by dramatic organ stutters alongside swirling, crunchy guitars. This contrast between clarity and tension forms the backbone of DAWNWALKER’s music, where joy, dread, and anxiety coexist in every note.
Heaven and Earth showcases the band’s most expansive, airy sound yet. Although The Unknowing is steeped in longing, it reaches a poignant high point in Mirrorpool, a dynamic and eerie centerpiece where Sourianou’s and Norgate‘s voices weave around each other, creating an interplay that crackles and wavers like wind brushing against endless waves. The juxtaposition of beauty and melancholy is at the heart of the album, and nowhere is this more apparent than in tracks like Sword Of Spirit and the leading single Cancer (Rising). The former is a brief moment of joy, while the latter descends back into a desperate search, illustrating the band’s masterful control over emotional dynamics.
Amongst the album’s highlights, Sword Of Spirit and Fall To Earth stand out as the most energetic, with Fall To Earth delivering a straight-up headbanging, air guitar rager. The Unknowing is yet another spectacular and engrossing entry into the lore of DAWNWALKER, presenting them at their most spacious and detailed. The irresistible combination of pastoral playfulness, occult influences, and folklore-inspired spirit ensures the band remain full of adventure and whimsy, while tackling profound existential themes that resonate long after the final note fades.
Rating: 8/10
The Unknowing is set for release on October 18th via self-release.
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