Forward Unto Dawn – Alpha – EP Review

Source // f1.bcbits.com

With neck-wrecking grooves and a thousand ideas crammed into every song, Canadian Prog Metallers Forward Unto Dawn have crafted an immersive and instinctually diverse 7 track EP that deserves to reach a wide audience.

“The Collapse” and “The Nature Of Existence” feel like you’ve been thrown into the middle of a bar brawl between The Faceless, Meshuggah and Sikth – the kind of broken glass to the face mauling that only the most furiously Progressive Metal can provide -while the unholy roar unleashed at the four and a half minute mark of “Concord & Dissolution” led to us changing our underpants; primal aggression and technical tenacity thrillingly amalgamated.

“State Of Duality” stands out as the one track to hint at the direction Forward Unto Dawn could find themselves taking. Djent, obviously we’re talking Meshuggah again, style riffing and feral barks reminiscent of the mighty Jens Kidman are joined by a (too) short Pestilence style excursion into ambient territory à la Spheres; a curiously cathartic mix of bedlam and serenity that needs to be explored further.  

In 2015, this sort of dissonant destruction is nothing new but Alpha offers plenty of satisfyingly heavy-as-hell moments amidst the carnage to warrant attention. Their next step forward could be a monumental one. 7/10