At last, here is another DAWN OF WINTER album. The Peaceful Dead comes ten whole years after the German Doom Metal quartet's In The Valley Of Tears previous full-length studio CD (a set of demo recordings, a couple of EPs and a 'selection' disc are also included in their discography) and serves as a good companion for those interested in spending some crawling-pace time in Doom Metal sounds.
Gerrit Mutz is mostly known due to his Heavy/Power/Epic/Speed Metal experience with SACRED STEEL (and TRAGEDY DIVINE, to be accurate); the same goes for Jorg Knittel. Few metalheads are aware of DAWN OF WINTER's existence while even fewer know that the band was born in 1990. With the 'CREMATORY' name in the beginning they released just one demo recording, soon enough to make the 'DAWN OF WINTER' modification. Winter's dawn meaning: slow-tempo long songs in the same path as the CANDELMASS, SAINT VITUS and SOLITUDE AETURNUS evidence (whoever also recalls DOOMSHINE can get a very draft idea).
Really weird for Mutz's likes, huh? Being aware his throat is a 'love it or hate it' situation, truth is you won't change your opinion while listening to The Peaceful Dead. I personally like this unique timbre; usually in this metallic sub-genre the vocals are exposed in a more deep and 'mourning' way. Mutz preserves the 'lament' approach but kinda expresses a more 'have mercy' tone in his vocals, with a questioning presence and some 'sapience' notes supersession. Of course, the songs' structure can serve such a deployment...
Low-tuned guitars with much of volume and less of spark, not related imminently to any BLACK SABBATH influence but more focusing on a 'strictly 80s Metal' chemistry/output. That's why the rhythm section is pounding in distinct production, the guitars' sound is metallic and there are some parts/intermezzos where things gradually deliver 'bang along' mid-tempo delight. A Lovelorn Traveller, Holy Blood, The Peaceful Dead and The Oath Of The Witch did stick more in my mind after listening to the album for five or six times, but the whole album is of relevant quality, making The Peaceful Dead depicting a remarkable consistency that...
...shall leave no 'classic' Doom Metal fan uninterested. I wonder how many people still chew over 1998's In The Valley Of Tears debut CD. For all of them, plus for many juvenile doomsters inducted to the supremacy and mystique of this specific sotyle/sound, The Peaceful Dead is a more than notable release (with limited variety, of course, but you know what to expect anyway). All the aforementioned, only in case you're not allergic to Gerrit Mutz's singing.

P.S.: DAWN OF WINTER recorded their first album, Doomcult Performance in December 1994; not happy with the result, they issued only five songs in the Black Revelations tape. Iron Glory Records released the whole album in 2003 (vinyl only).