Hailing from Texas, we have the debut full length effort of melodic/symphonic death metallers, DAWN OF DISSOLUTION. They previously released a demo and EP 2015, but their brand new full length "Prophecy of Oblivion" is a definite first step into the arena for this young and unsigned band.

Sometimes it can be tough to objectively assess a band like this. On the surface you may see poor production, awful mixing, songwriting that does not mesh together, and painfully unoriginal or inventive harsh vocals. But at the same time, this is a young band departed from the studio or financing of major signed bands, so we have to let some things slide.

The ambition and scope are all there. DAWN OF DISSOLUTION are clearly aiming for a majestic but extreme blend of melodic death metal, immediately establishing the death metal nature in album opener and title track, "Prophecy of Oblivion." We see a lot of bold attempts here at music laced around upper-tier lead guitar work, but often times the band bites off more than they can chew and mistakes happen.

The vocals throughout the album are distressingly mixed. The harsh vocals are passable, I would like more layering, but the cleans are softly mixed and poorly performed. When they pop up in track 2 "Enchantment of Eternity" it's pretty awful to listen to.

Track 3 "Chronicles of War" is an ambitious 10 minute long epic, but it falls short of itself. Instead of filling the space with a cohesive musical arc, it feels much more experimental and scattered. It's a bold attempt, but the scattered and confusing structure of the song is a theme we see in the entire album, from start to finish.

None of the songs individually elevate above the rest of the album. So for what it is, "Prophecy of Oblivion" is a consistent piece. That's a good sign, a clear direction and a consistent effort is what leads the way to improvement. I can't in good conscious say it is a good album, but sitting down and listening to it from the perspective of watching a young band with a big heart for metal and a lot of ambition experiment with the sound they want, it has strength.

We'll see what the future holds for DAWN OF DISSOLUTION, but their debut full length certainly isn't a show stopping way to begin. It's ultimately plagued with errors that are expected of a young band, but bad nonetheless and there's not a whole lot that can be done. The production and musical mistakes are enough to hold it back. But, you can't knock the effort.