ALBUM REVIEW
DAWN OF DEMISE – Feed My Absurdity
Crushing riffs, powerful groove, limited variety.
Danish band DAWN OF DEMISE return after a seven-year hiatus with their sixth full-length, "Feed My Absurdity", choosing to remain within the established boundaries of American brutal death metal. Rather than seeking new territory within the genre, they build on a songwriting approach shaped by the likes of SUFFOCATION, DYING FETUS, PYREXIA and BROKEN HOPE, prioritising the physical weight of their riffs and their rhythmic impact. In light of the criticism directed at the cleaner, more controlled production of their previous album, "Into the Depths of Veracity", the new record's shift towards a more direct presentation of raw guitar power and the sheer force of the rhythm section carries particular significance. The return of original guitarist Jakob Haagen Nyholm further strengthens the album's connection to the band's past.
The title track establishes this approach without taking any unnecessary detours. Thick guitar riffs, hard-hitting drums and Scott Jensen's deep growls form its backbone, while rhythmic breaks prevent the music from charging ahead at a constant pace. DAWN OF DEMISE do not rely on speed alone to deliver brutal death metal's intensity; groove-driven passages and heavy breakdowns amplify the impact of their riffs. Syncopated transitions and rhythmic accents bordering on slam, in particular, make the guitars feel even heavier. Bastian Thusgaard's drumming and Bjørn Jensen's bass provide the solid foundation this approach demands. Meanwhile, the production retains enough clarity to keep the instruments distinct, preventing the dense arrangements from obscuring one another.
The album's character emerges from the way this familiar formula is handled across individual tracks. While 'Ominous' moves forward with sharp guitar runs and forceful rhythmic attacks, 'The Essence of Extirpation' creates a more suffocating effect by combining a dense guitar texture with the sheer weight of the vocals. The interplay between Jakob Haagen Nyholm and Martin K. Sørensen's guitars on the latter goes beyond simply stacking one thick riff after another; the way the instruments reinforce each other makes the track's heaviness a product of the songwriting itself. Scott Jensen's deep vocal delivery plays an important role in this cohesion. Rather than pushing the vocals to the forefront as a separate spectacle, the arrangement uses them to complement the rhythmic intensity and reinforce the music's physical weight.
'Reviving Demise' and 'The Immoral' offer further insight into the range of the album's guitar writing. The guitar runs on 'The Immoral', in particular, introduce small but effective variations into the underlying framework of groove and slam influences. These details demonstrate that DAWN OF DEMISE do not rely solely on brute force and can keep their songs moving through carefully controlled instrumental flourishes. 'Downcast' follows the same approach to heaviness. The closing track, 'Break the World', stands out for its brevity. At just 3 minutes and 39 seconds, it exemplifies the band's direct approach, avoiding unnecessary extensions. This choice also fits the album's overall pace.
Nevertheless, DAWN OF DEMISE's consistent formula occasionally overshadows the individual identities of their songs. Across all ten tracks, fast passages, heavy breakdowns, groove-oriented riffs and deep growls are combined according to largely the same principles. This consistency never disrupts the album's flow, but as tracks such as 'The Immoral', 'Downcast' and 'Dissociation' unfold, the growing resemblance between certain riff and rhythmic patterns makes them harder to distinguish. The occasional guitar solos and variations in rhythmic emphasis do not fully resolve the issue. The problem, then, is less a matter of technical shortcomings than of the compositions' excessive reliance on a similar approach to impact.
At this point, it is worth considering "Feed My Absurdity" in the context of its genre. Preserving the traditional framework of brutal death metal is not inherently a weakness; the quality of the riffs, the purpose of the rhythmic arrangements and the consistency of the performances can all make such an approach worthwhile. DAWN OF DEMISE meet most of these criteria. Moreover, the cleaner, more contemporary production brings the ferocity of old-school American death metal into a modern sonic balance. However, the band's relationship with pioneers such as SUFFOCATION and DYING FETUS never develops into a distinctive songwriting approach that would give the album a more clearly defined musical identity of its own. DAWN OF DEMISE use the genre's fundamental elements effectively, but they do not develop an approach that redefines them.
"Feed My Absurdity" ends DAWN OF DEMISE's seven-year silence not with an ambitious change of direction, but by reclaiming the musical territory they know best. The album's value lies less in any claim to originality than in its disciplined execution, weighty guitars and controlled use of groove and slam elements. Conversely, the structural similarities between tracks and the limited range of the songwriting diminish its lasting impact. It is a satisfying record for those seeking the physical force of brutal death metal, tight performances and the familiar aesthetic of American death metal, but those looking for an album that expands the genre's boundaries or fundamentally transforms DAWN OF DEMISE's identity would be wise to temper their expectations.
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