After so many years of American produced Black Metal, it is still sometimes making me baffled, especially due to the thought of how can this kind of music can suit non Europeans, as one of its basics is the frost of the northern lands of the continent. Nonetheless, it was proven more than once that American Black Metal bands are no less than the packs of the Norse. Now, another first time for me, with a Californian band that made me realize that I should have listened to their creations sooner. It has been almost a decade since DAWN OF ASHES ditched EBM in favor of melodic Black / Death Metal. Without knowing their quality with the former, it seems to me that Metal suits them, and might even better. Lately, after less than a year since their last effort, the band returns with "Daemonolatry Gnosis", signed under the obscure Metropolis Records. I expected a common thunderstorm but eventually getting myself into something bigger.

Putting aside the band's vision for MAYHEM's old classic "Freezing Moon", my first analogy for DAWN OF ASHES was to CRADLE OF FILTH. Better yet, an Industrialized version of the British giants, similar to their mid-00s period. Generally, through the mystic occultism of "Daemonolatry Gnosis", I was presented with a true cinematic experience, smeared with theatrics, with the band's Metallic conception as a mere tool to lead on the theme of each of the songs, until reaching a climax that might shatter one's mind. Honestly, the material isn't overly melodic as I expected, when it comes to the Metal element, yet when executed, it is done with a modern intake that is somewhat versatile than the traditional second wave Black Metal fast paced tremolo playing. Needless to say that the keyboards and the overall classical orchestration take charge on most of the harmonious features. Furthermore, I enjoyed the intensity of the rhythm section, in particular the drumming, that exploded in both old and modern schooled precision.

Following my listen to the closing chapter of the album, I was introduced to "Magick for the New Aeon", featuring CRADLE OF FILTH's female singer, Lindsay Schoolcraft. To say that I was blown away would sound cheap and disgrace the effort. This band seriously has to think of a permanent female singer as an addition to their vocal line. Schoolcraft's guest performance is simply breathtaking, along with the deadly duet with Kristof Bathory. The music throughout the song showed a Gothic vibe along with the band's usual approach, an amazing creation. "Core of the Black Sun" and "Rulership of the Inner World" conveyed the high quality performance of the band's extremity, obtaining a crucial role for the lead guitar melodies, diverse vocals and the blasting beats as one with the cinematic elements. Other grandeurs to be noticed: The brutal "Smash Thy Enemies", cryptic "Sermon from the Horned God" and the foreboding "Guardians".

DAWN OF ASHES is a band that has a lot to offer, with the release of "Daemonolatry Gnosis" they should extend their reach into the ears of extreme Metal fans, but just them. Every Metalhead that would like to enrich the Metal experience, has to go through these guys as well.