16 December 2012
Dawn of Elysium: 'Sense of Belonging' Review
Hailing from West Yorkshire, Dawn of Elysium are a gothic rock band who have found the journey towards their debut EP a rough one. Somewhere in the darkness of a local goth club, vocalist and guitarist Alec Marlow and bassist Emma Hedley conceived the idea of forming a band at the end of 2011.
In March 2012 they were joined by drummer Phil Holroyd and two others, and began rehearsing as a 5-piece. After some false starts and teething problems, the band settled as a 3-piece, adopting its name Dawn of Elysium. In September, just in time for their first gig, Charles Shelley joined the band on keyboards, after which they immediately entered the studio to create their debut EP.
The EP was recorded and produced at Bradford’s Voltage Studios by Tim Walker from the 80’s gothic rock band Harlequyn. Tim sought to recapture the essence of that era whilst maintaining a contemporary edge to Dawn of Elysium's sound. The band say that they are "very much a guitar and drums based band with organically played keyboards, which seems to be something seldom found within the genre in these technological times."
The EP opens with 'Doused in Green' which instantly introduces you to the sound that makes Dawn of Elysium different from their goth rock peers. As they say themselves; the sound is organic and it's earthy: there's a hint of a folk edge, something dark and Pagan-esque. The 80s influence is clear and Alec's deep, gravelly vocals compliment it perfectly; commanding the tracks with a powerful and mammoth voice, reminiscent of the Meatloaf of that era.
'At the Sky' shows off the power of the guitars and drums, pulling more of a metal influence into the EP. It's skillful and tight, with no signs that the band jumped into the studio just after cementing their current line-up. The EP shows a good range of what they can do with the fourth track, 'Lost and Found', pulling back with a long, sultry ballad with impressive instrumental sections tying the verses together. But this feels like the first step on a long journey for Dawn of Elysium; one that will see them evolve and mature as a 4-piece, settling into the big, heavy boots of the goth rock scene.
In March 2012 they were joined by drummer Phil Holroyd and two others, and began rehearsing as a 5-piece. After some false starts and teething problems, the band settled as a 3-piece, adopting its name Dawn of Elysium. In September, just in time for their first gig, Charles Shelley joined the band on keyboards, after which they immediately entered the studio to create their debut EP.
The EP was recorded and produced at Bradford’s Voltage Studios by Tim Walker from the 80’s gothic rock band Harlequyn. Tim sought to recapture the essence of that era whilst maintaining a contemporary edge to Dawn of Elysium's sound. The band say that they are "very much a guitar and drums based band with organically played keyboards, which seems to be something seldom found within the genre in these technological times."
The EP opens with 'Doused in Green' which instantly introduces you to the sound that makes Dawn of Elysium different from their goth rock peers. As they say themselves; the sound is organic and it's earthy: there's a hint of a folk edge, something dark and Pagan-esque. The 80s influence is clear and Alec's deep, gravelly vocals compliment it perfectly; commanding the tracks with a powerful and mammoth voice, reminiscent of the Meatloaf of that era.
'At the Sky' shows off the power of the guitars and drums, pulling more of a metal influence into the EP. It's skillful and tight, with no signs that the band jumped into the studio just after cementing their current line-up. The EP shows a good range of what they can do with the fourth track, 'Lost and Found', pulling back with a long, sultry ballad with impressive instrumental sections tying the verses together. But this feels like the first step on a long journey for Dawn of Elysium; one that will see them evolve and mature as a 4-piece, settling into the big, heavy boots of the goth rock scene.
Article written by...
Keller is EGL Magazine's editor. She has a degree in Creative Writing and is a published horror and fantasy writer. She loves punk and rockabilly, roller derby, and creepy foreign horror movies.
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