Album Review: Dawnwalker – The Unknowing (Self Released)

Conceived across three recording studios and featuring exciting new players, Dawnwalker’s sixth album ‘The Unknowing’ will be released on October 18th, 2024. Joining mastermind and guiding light Mark Norgate are seasoned talents including Luke Fabian (ex-Pupil Slicer) on bass, Chris J. Allan (ex-Malefice) on drums, flautist Bella Band, and vocalist Sofia Sourianou (Deathbloom, Lure In).

‘The Unknowing’ is a concept album meditating on grand themes concerning our shared search for belonging, and our desire to know our place in this vast, hostile and unknowable universe.

An experience that grows and grows, slowly and effectively blossoming in the mind. Dawnwalker’s new album is a grand opus to say the least, but until you’ve experienced it yourself a statement like that might ring hollow. Music like this always has a certain amount of indescribability about it and often the best approach is sum up how it makes you feel. Except The Unknowing creates a myriad of feelings that whip around the mind like a tornado. It can be hard to grasp just what this album does to you, until you sit back, and really think about.

More than just analysis of the music, it’s an analysis of imagination, thought-processes, and how all of that has a personal effect. When you have an album as eclectic as this, deep analysis is necessary, especially as what is on offer is so substantial.

With melody at the forefront, and both vocalists sharing centre stage in unique ways, opener Thema Mundi is the first example of this album’s thrilling eccentrics. The aforementioned blossoming is in full effect here and the way in which a flute is used as an exclamation point is very clever. However, how this track expands into heftier rock territories is so exciting, and it leads the mind confidently into the following Capricorn where Dawnwalker showcase some infectious funkiness. Before a startling amount of beauty oozes out of Novus Homo. Dawnwalker’s approach here is so relaxed, it’s downright comforting, and then with a crash, things heavy up. Hoping for some thick and rich guitar sounds? This track has that and so much more.

Subtly, drawing from a more ambient place, Heaven & Earth has the feel of an epic. Building in relaxed fashion, led by downright dreamy vocals, but while more layers are introduced, it stays mellow and dramatic even as it reaches a grand ending. It is one of the more polarising efforts, but the creativity in it is undisputable.

There’s a sense that the album is getting more varied and unusual as it goes on, yet, the enjoyability isn’t diminished. In fact, in some cases, it is enhanced and one such example is the glorious folk-infused Mirrorpool. There is so much to take in here, and Dawnwalker pack out a three-ish minute track with an inordinate amount of detail. Fascinating detail too that makes moving on to the following Sword of Spirit difficult. Thankfully, this next effort is such a progressively captivating listen, the mind can focus on it fully.

A dramatic start (love those breathy vocals that also appear on Thema Mundi) and a burgeoning build that proves to really effective is what Cancer (Rising) offers. Yet, it is (like so much of this album) how the track develops that stands out. This is consistency, ensuring the album is substantial and sustainable as the end arrives with Fall to Earth and The Law. The former track is one of the most vivid tracks on the album, sending starry visions of bright light through the mind. Whereas the latter eases things out in uncomplicated, but moody, fashion.

A brave and inspired showcase of creativity, there’s a sense that if only one other person heard this album, Dawnwalker would be satisfied because of what they crafted here. Thankfully, a hell of a lot more than one other person will hear this. It’s an experience that many will desperately want to have and an experience that most will come away glad they had.

Dawnwalker – The Unknowing Track Listing:

1. Thema Mundi
2. Capricorn
3. Novus Homo
4. Heaven & Earth
5. Mirrorpool
6. Sword Of Spirit
7. Cancer (Rising)
8. Fall To Earth
9. The Law

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