“Held by divine birthright, bathe in golden light.”
Ethereal and experimental progressive/post-metal collective Dawnwalker have always been one of the more creative and eclectic projects currently active in their hometown of London. Helmed by mastermind Mark Norgate, and veering wildly from black metal-inspired riffing to ambient soundscapes to prog and pop-infused ballads, the band has never been one to rest on tired ideas or repeat formulas endlessly, instead seemingly choosing to inject every one of their varied releases with as many different influences and sounds as they can cohesively craft. Understandably and somewhat naturally, this has led to a back catalogue chock full of highs and lows and a somewhat inconsistent level of quality across multiple EPs and albums, but this also means there is often something to be found for listeners regardless of personal tastes and preferred styles.
With their latest offering The Unknowing marking their sixth full length release, and with a brand new cast of musicians backing up Mark’s songwriting prowess (including ex-members of Pupil Slicer and Malefice), it remains to be seen where exactly this album will fit into their eccentric discography, but it clearly finds the band pushing themselves creatively and stylistically in some bold new directions, with varying levels of success.
Opener “Thema Mundi” certainly sets a bold aural precedent for the rest of the album to follow, full of lilting female vocals (courtesy of new recruit Sofia Sourianou), layered synths and jangling guitars set to a driving drum groove, and even a little flute sprinkled over the top. Despite these disparate elements blending together tastefully and admittedly crafting an immersive atmosphere, the plodding rhythms and somewhat anticlimactic resolution are issues that will be encountered multiple times throughout the record, and here they hold this opening track back from truly creating excitement for what is to follow.
This is in no way to say this is a bad song – or indeed, album – but it suffers from a lack of dynamics that permeates the remainder of the runtime. There are some beautiful harmonies and catchy hooks to be hummed along to, notably in cuts like “Sword of Spirit” – built around a gorgeous vocal run and thick, momentous bass guitar – and “Cancer (Rising)” which reincorporates and builds upon some of Sourianou’s vocal trills established on earlier tracks to great effect. But it’s hard to escape the feeling of listlessness, of aimless meandering with no clear direction or goal, that holds these songs back from feeling truly powerful or meaningful. The lack of tension and release means that these tracks often feel as if they are building up to a crescendo before rapidly dropping out all that pent up energy, and simply ending without a satisfying resolution. There is no dearth of ideas here, and all the musicians are putting in stellar performances – Mark’s vocals in particular sound energised and his creative melodies and esoteric lyrics breathe life into the tracks – but they ultimately don’t gel together into something particularly satisfying or memorable.
There are definitely high points to be found across the record, despite earlier criticisms and initial disappointments. Lyrically there are some fascinating subjects broached with colourful language and expressive motifs, and a powerful overriding theme of searching for belonging while surrounded by hostility in an uncaring world. The analogue recording and production also gives this album a strong sense of identity (even if the songs themselves aren’t as effective in this regard), with the overall impression feeling almost like an incredibly tight live album. The production is slick and clean without feeling overly polished, giving each and every instrument its time to shine and draw focus. And as mentioned earlier, there are some incredible hooks and melodies across the run time that will absolutely take up some rent-free space in your head after a single listen. Closing track “The Law” finely encapsulates this praise, with its yearning refrain of “we return to nothing – this is the law of the universe” serving as a powerful ending piece to an album that aims high, but doesn’t quite hit its mark every time.
Overall this is an admirable effort by a talented, versatile and creative group of musicians, and they deserve high praise for their work here. It may not always scale the peaks that are promised, and the lack of varied dynamics is definitely an issue that is hopefully tackled by the time the next release rolls around, but in the meantime, The Unknowing is certainly worth a spin.
6.5/10
The Unknowing is out Friday 18th October and can be pre-ordered here.