CD Info

2009

Shark Records / Germany

15 Tracks

English Lyrics

Dawn of Destiny has a hard act to follow, and that act is their previous release Rebellion in Heaven, one of the top female fronted metal releases in recent memory. You get different reactions to the current release, it’s hard to be better than the best, and some will never be willing to agree to better than perfection. But, having heard both, I can honestly say, this may not be better than Rebellion, but it sure ain’t no worse. It is a little different, although it does continue the trend of hard, beautiful metal focusing on speed riffs and catchy rhythms.

How do you describe this German power metal band? Well, there is the so-called light symphonic component, contrasted against the speed metal, which is more pronounced here than in previous releases. There are the catchy choruses, there is the occasional atmospheric component, but, throughout, there is the female vocal of one of the more popular female vocalists of our time, Ms. Tanja Maul... Tanja may not be Tarja, but she has a vocal that is easy to recognize, a metal vocal that rips. This is a hard metal vocal, one that grips, occasionally soars and one that you tend to remember. This is a different female vocal, she could probably sing in a number of environments, jazz, R&B or more classical should the spirit move. And, on this release, she takes a number of routes to get the message across. Don’t expect the same sound twice. She goes in different directions on nearly every number, and the band carries out these incursions into various directions with her.

Tanja is not the only vocalist on this release; there are male vocals as well. And they are equally interesting and diverse. Vocals are a staple in the Dawn of Destiny arsenal; they use them to get across both a feeling and a message. And those messages tend to be interesting. We’ll get to that shortly. But first, let’s talk about some of the additional vocalists that are found on this release. Dawn of Destiny is big time, and big time means you can bring other big time musicians on board to augment your sound. On this release we are treated to several guest musicians. The first is Bernhard Weiss of Axxis, who sings on Unborn Child. Now I know this is a female vocal site but there are many who will recognize this artist, especially those familiar with the Western European music scene. And his music here adds a significant component to a truly outstanding heavy metal song. Here, the two vocalists present a sound that is almost interchangeable. It’s hard to tell when one ends and the other starts, other than when they are singing together. It’s a really nice duet, one that is a signature sound on the CD.

The second guest vocalist of note is Ian Perry of Elegy who performs on the title track. Again, a significant male vocalist, one who adds significant quality to an already significant sound. This title takes us to the speed metal part of the repertoire. And not only do we get a truly outstanding male vocal, we get some of the best work from our female lead, it’s almost like she doesn’t want to be outdone. This is a highlight, and one every reviewer I have read points to as one of the reasons why this German band is one of the best of the breed.

Beyond the vocals, there’s a lot to like about Dawn of Destiny. Instrumentally, there is a solid metal framework. Majestic melodies drive most of the numbers; heavy speed metal is a relatively new direction, at least in terms of the amount you’re going to see as compared to previous releases. A relentless double bass drumming keeps the sound moving, and the keyboards move from fill to lead components, even within individual songs. And, by the way, there’s a lot of songs; fifteen by my count. That’s a lot of music for one CD, you don’t get short changed on this offering. There’s also some strong guitar work, much like previous releases. These can go from soft, emotive directions to the crunching speed metal in a Miami minute. Again, within individual songs.

Lyrically, DoD takes us in some interesting directions. The focus ranges from human relationships to such diverse themes as disease and abstract fears. We cover a lot of ground here folks. Be ready for a literary journey of some variety. These guys have a lot to say. The principle song writer is bass player Jens Faber and he has a lot to comment on, we’ll get into some of the specifics as we address individual songs.

Human Fragility begins with a short classical selection, in the tradition of most gothic releases these days. At its conclusion, we are jolted into reality with a tempest of gothic metal, the second track, Silent Suffering. Silent is anything but silent, and suggest we are in for a hard ride. This direction continues for much of the CD, and the lyrical direction reflects this hard approach to what the band has to say. Learning to Fly reflects this direction, starting out with a soft guitar, almost a Spanish guitar, that begins to build with an atmospheric keyboard component. But the speed guitar is there to lead the vocals into a dark reflection:

This hard direction continues on several DoD tracks. But there are always differences, the guitars, the keys, the vocal components. Sometimes the differences become pronounced. They may make use of a different guitar sound, they may make use of a different keyboard direction, they may include a different vocal line, but there is always a different component. It’s like the Germans know there should be variety to their music, and being the good Germans they are, they are quick to oblige. One of these interesting directions is Blown Away. Here we find some background vocals that aren’t found in other tracks, even if the female vocal is relatively similar to that which preceded it. Or is it just me being overly critical. The lyrics remind me of America, that part of America that distresses me the most:

I guess it’s hard to argue with popular opinion. Dawn of Destiny is a major player on the female metal scene today. Their previous release was a major accomplishment, one of the finest of the year. This release appears to be almost as significant, with the understanding that it goes in some different directions. There is the consistency of quality, there is the consistency of vocal caliber, and there is the consistency of musical relevance. But there is a difference that makes this release, well, different. And that difference in no way diminishes the enjoyment of what this German band has produced. We have some really great music here, with something for pretty much everyone. Very much worth the price of admission.

• Prev
• Next