Release Date: 31 October 2025
Song Count: 8
Duration: 44 minutes, 53 seconds
Rating: 6.7/10
Description:
Song Count: 8
Duration: 44 minutes, 53 seconds
Rating: 6.7/10
Description:
From one fantastical adventure to another across musical genres, this time we have the black metal band ONE OF NINE with their album Dawn of the Iron Shadow. Not too dissimilar to the record we looked at yesterday in spite of its difference in broad musical style, this album also takes the listener on a journey through its music whilst incorporating hints of Dungeon Synth into its sound, though the latter is much less pronounced here. Through expositions, spoken word segments, clever decisions in the way the instruments are played and emotions being poured in, there is plenty to take in and get immersed into going into this nearly 45-minute experience.
Though primarily dominated by classic black metal instrumentation and dissonant growling vocals setting the adventurous tone, the music also incorporates all sorts of unconventional elements to not only add a dash of melodicism, but also make it stand out from one's average black metal album - from keys and harp-like sounds to horns and brass in reverb, the true richness in sounds takes its time to truly set in and makes full use of everything it has got in the arsenal once it does. Tracks like "Dreadful Leap" and "Quest of the Silmaril" are prime examples of these details shining at their brightest and adding a moving, passion-filled side to the grand picture painted over the base of a genre with limited grounds for such experimentation. Along with the occasional moments of slowing down and sinking more deeply into the world-building of the record, such as the interlude "Bauglir" or the final moments of the closing track "Death Wing Black Flame", there is a noticeable and deliberate amount of work put in to get the listener truly immersed in the story - or, at the very least, the general progression - of the album.
While far from an outright spectacular implementation of storytelling within black metal, Dawn of the Iron Shadow most certainly acts as a decent showing of how it can be achieved, taking elements from greater works that have a similar aim and then putting its own spin on the concept. It is clear for all to witness that this band is very passionate on delivering the most captivating and creative stories they can through their music and works (especially given that the literal name ONE OF NINE is a Lord of the Rings reference in itself), and nowhere is that made more clear than with this album. Unfortunately there is a bulk here that tends to fall short in terms of memorability, dragging the project as a whole down a little, but the highlights and particularly impressive aspects of this LP should most certainly not be ignored. As a whole, not bad at all.