Album Review: Dark Hound – Dawning (Self Released)

The follow-up to 2014’s debut self titled album, Dark Hound are back with Dawning, a sizeable chunk of metal. It will be released on January 19th 2018.

Inspired by early thrash bands like Testament & Megadeth, Dark Hound have crafted a bouncy & thrilling modern metal record. Opener, The Ashes of Your Worth is an energetic start bringing thumping riffs, meltingly hot solos & in your face bass/drums. An early bar-setting track, it gets the thrash party started with the rest of the album delivering debauchery in bucket loads.

Guilt Tripper’s pacey groove is a blast, Carnival of Youth drum beat smashes like a mallet to the head while The Answer’s guitar riffing is akin to a wild animal on a rampage.

Dark Hound know metal, they understand thrash & that its just as important to bring listenable rhythm to the constant assault of heavy metal. This isn’t an album that is ‘heavy for heavy’s sake’ & keeps you hooked with varied songs.

A highlight is the thrash-heavy vocals & white hot fury of Stripped Away, a belter of a track that gets the blood pumping & the horns thrown in the air. In fact the tempo doesn’t drop from this point onwards as Dark Hound blast out track after track of exciting & hook-laden metal.

Eleven tracks fly by in an instant & the thrilling finale of the brutalising Thrashgasm & the more subtle Here Lies Truth ends things on a head-banging high. The screeching sound of a guitar solo in the former while the latter still brings the heaviness but with a little less fury.

Dark Hound – Dawning Full Track Listing:

1. The Ashes of Your Worth
2. Guilt Tripper
3. Carnival of Youth
4. The Answer
5. Crisis of Hope
6. Thrown to the Wolves
7. Stripped Away
8. Balancing Act
9. The Jagged Edge
10. Thrashgasm
11. Here Lies Truth

Head over to Dark Hound’s website to find out more & pick up their music/merchandise. You can also check them out on Facebook & Twitter.