2008 Forgotten Empire Records
 

5 out of 5

It's fitting that Day Without Dawn's first and only LP begins with the thundering grind of “The Wake.” With the departure of guitarist and lead vocalist Jim Stang late last year, the New Jersey four-piece that formed in 2005 by the remaining members of the prog-metal juggernaut The Postman Syndrome announced that they were once again losing a member and changing their name. But before leaving behind this incarnation, the remaining members of Day Without Dawn finished their debut album, leaving a powerful wake through the cluttered landscape of underground rock.

Day Without Dawn's sound is even less easily classifiable than Postman's was but it expertly combines elements of post-hardcore, progressive metal, and art rock into a seamless unit, that despite its eccentricity and slippery time changes, still manages to carry a driving groove throughout the record. Stang's clear high vocals offset guitarist Chris Alfano's guttural screams and float over the constantly-shifting foundation laid down by drummer Seth Rheam and bassist Brett Bamberger while the guitar lines twist over and around each other. A number of guest musicians round out the lineup, including All Parallels singer Larry Chiswick (who filled in Stang's unfinished parts) and former Postman Syndrome vocalist/guitarist Matt Lupo on the breathtaking closer “The Undertide.”

At times brutal, at times gentle, but always engaging, the ten tracks display a rare balance of incredible musicianship and smart songwriting. Fans of Circa Survive and Tool alike will find something to like here. It's a shame that Day Without Dawn is no more, but Alfano, Bamberger, and Rheam moved onto new projects together as Biclops and later East of the Wall so it's doubtful that we have heard the last of them.
 

Sounds like: The rhythm section of Tool with better bass melodies, with mid-career Cave In-meets-Radiohead guitars and Engine Down vocals after extensive voice coaching.
Best tracks: "The Undertide," "The Deeper Wells"
Best moment: The ten-limb independence in the clean section towards the end of "The Wake."

note: This review was featured in the Spring 2008 issue of Osprey magazine.