Tucked in between all the high profile technical and brutal death metal that labels like Comatose and Unique Leader has churned out in 2016 is this solid little debut record from France’s new act Red Dawn,  and no it’s not a concept band based on the movie.

What it is though is well crafted and well played modern tech death metal that fits in with anything released on Unique Leader this year. It’s polished and clinical has some melodic leads and to some, a bit of deathcore. But that’s fine by me, and if you dig bands like fellow french men Kronos and Benighted or Aversions Crown and other fair to middling UL acts like Lord of War, Eschaton, Arkaik, and such you will enjoy this.

It’s not quite a full on shred fest like Gorod, First Fragement or The Zenith Passage, and not pure broodle ness or deathcore like Acrania or Abominable Putridity,  but a sound that flutters between all the above with skill and confidence. The vocals, like the music covers all the bases  as well from screams, deep growls and pig squeals. The guitar tone is big and clean and as you’d expect the rhythm section is tight as hell.

Song wise, the 7 songs and intro cover that perfect 45 minute time frame, and while honestly, none of them truly jumped of the disc, all of them are pretty solid. From “Cracked Clock”  through “Looking Through the Eye of God” and more controlled “Alter Ego”  to eight minute closer “Infinity of Time”, the band are direct and skilled. Other than the dramatic intro, there’s not any wasted notes or needless filler. Even the aforementioned closer fills out the full eight minutes with full on tech death lurches, salvos, leads and time changes. The leads add some harmony to the brutality, while not being a completely over indulgent, neo classical overload (not that there is anything wrong with that, I loved the First Fragment album). The end result is a fine tech death album that’s going to be a little under most radars but deserves your attention.

[Visit the band's website]

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