Beast of Damnation – Dawn of the Beast

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Germany’s underground Black Metal scene is as strong as ever, and this is shown on BEAST OF DAMNATION’s “Dawn of the Beast,” the band’s first full-length in their 16 years of existence. Full of intense Black Metal riffing, the album’s artwork is in no way a justified representation of the fury presented in the music. No, seriously, this album art is probably the worst I have ever seen.

Without hesitation, the first thing I listened to off this record was the cover of “Hotel California” by the EAGLES, as a Black Metal cover of the song should be intriguing for anyone. The cover is disastrous, featuring an anticlimactic chorus and a dumbed down ending. In short, it makes a classic song sound like a train wreck. However, the rest of this record is not like this cover. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

“Schlachtgesang” is already a large step up from the EAGLES cover. In fact, there are riffs on this track that are good, though not original. It isn’t until the following track, “Fuck for Satan,” where the band truly shines. In a furious blitzkrieg of riffs, the song has a fierceness in its fast riffing style with a bleak and minimal atmosphere. From here, the album maintains a pace of great Black Metal riffing in veins of fellow German bands NARGAROTH and DESASTER.

Black Metal is often noted for its versatility, and this record shows this in full. From Thrash Metal riffing on “Nuklearer Holokaust” and “Crucifucked” to atmospheric riffing on “Battle Rage” and “Black Light Storm,” the record goes through several sounds, all of which mix with Beast of Damnation’s brand of Black Metal perfectly. There are even changes in guitar tone and vocal styles in some songs.

The album’s structure is great until the very end. “Feuer Flammen Rauch Asche” features interesting dualling atmosphere and a nice structure, but it is not as strong as previous tracks. In fact, even the production of this particular song seems to decrease in quality. Even worse, it is followed by the most horrendous cover of “Hotel California” that has ever graced my ears. The ending is one of the most important moments, as it is the lasting impression on the listener, but this album did not end strong.

Nevertheless, Beast of Damnation put out a great effort in 2019. It shows strong riffing, knowledge of songwriting and enough energy to keep the listener engaged. These traits are rare for a modern Black Metal band to pull off, but they are all achieved on this record.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 7
Production: 7