Black Dawn: Age of Reason

I would have loved this album in college.  Actually it originally came out shortly after my college days, in 2004.  So I probably still would have loved it had I discovered it when it came out.  It is the kind of driving, aggressive, yet catchy and grooving kind of metal that I really enjoyed when I was younger.  My tastes have matured a bit since then, so while I recognize I would have loved it when I was younger, it is not as impressive now.

Black Dawn is a groove metal band from New York who were probably just a few years late in forming or they may have been able to capitalize on the market for bands that sounded like Pantera and Machine Head.  Those are the main points of reference for their sound.  They are very close to Supercharger-era Machine Head in particular.

The music is certainly energetic and typically fast-paced.  The reference points listed above probably would cause a lot of people to avoid the band, but if not, listeners would probably find something to enjoy here.  The band members are all competent musicians and the songwriting is pretty good.  The vocals are rough, yet emotional.  This is catchy and infectious music that is filled with a lot of angst.

There is still a market for this music.  Fans of the aformentioned Pantera and Machine Head will likely enjoy this one as well.  I have personally outgrown this style, but I could see myself listening to it again.