Album Review: Cult Of Luna – A Dawn To Fear (Metal Blade Records)

Building on twenty years of creating some of the most epic, emotive and inventive heavy music unleashed on the world, there is no denying that Cult Of Luna’s A Dawn To Fear is a monster of a record.

An album comprised of eight tracks running seventy-nine minutes, it embodies everything the band’s faithful have come to expect from them while covering new ground.

A Dawn to Fear is out on September 20th 2019 via Metal Blade.

Few bands create such a buzz of anticipation as Cult of Luna do. The post-metal band never disappoint and their last release in 2016, Mariner (with Julie Christmas) was one of the most phenomenal releases of that year. Over three years later, they’re back with one of their most ambitious records yet.

A near 80 minute post-metal release could feel trite or gluttonous. Padding for the sake of padding in the hands of any other band but Cult of Luna. In their capable hands though, it ends up not feeling like enough.

Always leaning more towards the heavier side of post, The Silent Man is as brutal as it is haunting. The roar of the riffs and vocals like a cold splash of water to the face while sleeping.

Lay Your Head to Rest is far more methodical and far bleaker as Cult of Luna dredge deep from their expansive ocean. The ringing of the guitars echoing wide and far, morose and memorable but fairly short by this albums standards.

Following that, the title track has some trippy moments while retaining the methodical rhythm and being the embodiment of depressive post-metal. It’s a challenging listen so when Nightwalkers comes along afterwards it’s a bit of a relief. Crushingly heavy, this is Cult of Luna at their most brutalising but as is their modus operandi, it twists suddenly and shifts into something unexpected and equally as thrilling. The most fun moment coming when the rhythm seems to be escaping them and we get some disjointed squeals of feedback. So classy.

Half an album down, half a wonderful experience done. Lights on the Hill certainly doesn’t change that. 15 minutes of the most epic post-metal heard this year. The way in which Cult of Luna build then drop, infuse melody where it seems as though there couldn’t be any and delivers thrilling intensity of heaviness is utterly brilliant. Talk about 15 minutes flying by in an instant.

After such an epic, We Feel the End and Inland Rain make all the difference with two shorter listens.

The former very emotive with whispered vocals and folk-like melodies. It’s very easy to imagine this being sung around a fire on a cold night as those in attendance remember who they have lost. Only when it picks up near the end does it get more hopeful.

The latter is Cult of Luna providing us with a hard hitting metal track punctuated by an aggressive vocal performance.

Finally, to call time on another excellent release, The Fall is one more titanic and gargantuan effort. Dour melody is released into the ether and the band blend it outstandingly well with their brutalising heavier side. The impact of this track and how it eerily switches tempos and direction with such ease can’t be understated.

Cult of Luna’s consistency is to be admired. Once again they have released an outstanding epic in the form of A Dawn to Fear.

Cult of Luna – A Dawn to Fear Full Track Listing:

1. The Silent Man
2. Lay Your Head to Rest
3. A Dawn to Fear
4. Nightwalkers
5. Lights on the Hill
6. We Feel the End
7. Inland Rain
8. The Fall

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