Before the Dawn’s new EP a surprisingly dense affair

It should be no surprise for anyone who knows anything of Tuomas Saukkonen, finish multi-instrumentalist and composer for numerous Finnish metal bands, that with another year comes another release. As one of the most hard working entities in the genre today, his track record for putting out consistently high quality releases is second to few, and his most recent release with melodic dark metal band Before the Dawn, the Decade of Darkness EP is no exception.

This hefty EP consists of four solid new tracks, presumably for this release alone (as opposed to a teaser for an upcoming album), two live tracks (one of the new songs and the fan favorite Deadsong), and a rearranged symphonic version of the aforementioned track. The title track is the highlight of this release, with the usual tradeoff between Lars Eiklind’s distinctive cleans and Saukkonen’s harsh growls and singular writing style being the highlight. It simply bursts with melodic, emotive energy. The follow up “End of Days” is a more standard affair, with flowing leads and a simple, mid tempo groove, punctuated by slow passages with heavy, thick percussion used to build a sense of epic momentum.

The next track “Insomnia” is a somber acoustic piece with Eikland starring in a beautifully moody performance. There is liberal use of keyboards in this track, adding an additional layer of melancholy to the mix. The result is a much needed change in song writing formula, which has changed little in the last few albums. The last track “Painless” is a killer, taking the band’s standard sound and injecting it with a heavy dose of fast paced melodic death metal more akin to the Swedish movement.

The two live tracks are a nice little bonus, and showcase the band’s almost album perfect live sound, particularly in the vocal department , with each chorus flawlessly executed, and the energy of their performance clear and impressive. The only real throwaway track is the symphonic version of “Deadsong”, as while it is interesting to hear once, will probably be delegated to the skipped track playlist. The production on this release is a noticeable upgrade from the lackluster quality of its predecessor Soundscape of Silence. The instruments are clear, the vocals mixed beautifully, and the music lacks the odd buzz the pervaded their previous release.