When the entire promo bio is in French...well, I have no idea who the band is because they also do not have an entry on The Metal Archives. Well, it's onto the music, which is loosely described as "Progressive Metal." The album contains eight tracks, with "Cycles" opening the album. It begins with some strings and electronica. From there, a chugging riff develops. The production is just a bit cloudy for my taste. Spoken words come in followed by a harsh scream. The lead guitars keep plowing through, followed by some charming piano notes. I'm not sure what to make of the music at this point but expect something unusual when it comes to French composers.

"In Universe Nothing is Lost" begins with more electronica followed by clean vocals. If it wasn't for the harsh vocals, you could pretty easily label this Progressive Metal, but the harsh vocals bring moments of dissonance to the otherwise fairly melodic sound. The melodic moments are actually quite alluring, but the album has a somewhat amateur sound to it. "Matter Drop" opens with staccato guitar strikes and steady drumming, shaping into a rhythm of darkness. Death vocals appear but the melodies stay in the forefront of the sound. Clean vocals come in a rapped style, and some more well-done lead guitar notes.

"Eiram" opens with clean guitars and some lead notes. The melody here is very accessible, augmented by keys and other samples. Even the harsh vocals are washed away by the strong melodies. The sheer number of different elements he works into the music is impressive, as well as the development of melody. "Ghelan San" is a very short and unusual track, beginning with clean vocals sung acapella and with harmonies. Harsh utterance mix in with this surprisingly catchy tune. "Smiles in the Smoke part 1" is another unique offering of dreamy clean vocals cut with harsh vocals and a plethora of background stylings. The composer's Progressive tendencies come through a bit stronger here.

"Smiles in the Smoke part 2" opens with a bit of a heavier sound, and more of those lead guitar notes. It's another oddly pleasing track, and it's obvious at this point in the album that the composer doesn't care about what style his music is labeled...he just wants people to enjoy the bubbly sound. It culminates in a crescendo of melodic elements. "Constant Fleeing" closes the album. It begins with some light and clean lead notes followed by clean, somber vocals. They develop into harmonies with what sounds like a female singer, and the song begins a steady climb towards the end to a crescendo, before backing off to a more ambient ending.

This was a very unique album that is difficult to pigeon-hole into one style. Take away the harsh vocals and you are still left with an amalgam of styles...Pop, Rock, Prog and others. If it wasn't for that slightly amateur quality to the music, this album could be a real winner. As it stands, it is charming, melodic, and engaging for the listener. I would earmark this album and band...they might release a real firecracker in the future.Purchase Link:

https://secondday.bandcamp.com/album/dawn