Final Dawn don't reinvent the heavy metal wheel with this album, but continue to hone and adjust the genre with some nu-metal finesse. "Solemn Art" has classic metal styles that aren't necessarily dark or death metal, but lead singer Vesa Mattila gives dark and consistent growls in the lyrics. They aren't blood curdling but still drive the point home in the vein of
Rammstein. It's the rhythm section of
Final Dawn which is often its greatest asset. The deliberate nature behind "Ardent" sets the stage for a crunchy guitar-driven assault while Mattila rants about insanity before a melodic bridge enters the fray. This dichotomy between harder, punishing moments and the guitar work of both Mattila and Marko Leviskä is what makes this album work more often than not, especially on the vitriolic "Aggression Overdrive." One aberration is the fine no-nonsense rocker called "Doze," a tune with a pulsating guitar and classic early British metal rhythm à la
Iron Maiden.
Megadeth also comes to mind on this track. There are elements of death metal, but they're not easily discerned on the rather tame "Regression Is Transgression." Perhaps the album's high point comes during the opening notes of "Bleeding Sky," a series of tight riffs coming from a well-oiled and seasoned group of musicians that bookends the song. Wrapping up
Under the Bleeding Sky with "My Pain," which comes off somewhat like
Mötley Crüe's "Looks Could Kill,"
Final Dawn have a promising future ahead of them on this dark metal road. ~ Jason MacNeil