DAWNRIDER stands as a distinct chapter in the doom metal scene. Marking their 20th year this year, they’ve weathered half a dozen labels and numerous lineup changes, yet have always remained loyal to their underground persona, while continuously developing their unique sound. Now, they release their fifth full-length album, “Five Signs of Malice”, through Italy’s Metal On Metal Records.
From the founding trio —F.J. Dias, João Barrelas, and Hugo Conim—only Conim remains in the current lineup, handling the guitars. He is joined by Filipe Relêgo (vocals, bass, additional guitars on “Old Beast,” “Lawless Road,” and “Perishing Hour”), Diogo Simões (keyboards), and João Ventura (drums). This is the same lineup as their previous album, “The Fourth Dawn” (2022), and this cohesion has borne impressive fruit, giving the band a newfound sense of purpose and direction.
The style of the new album sticks to familiar ground, featuring their trademark extended compositions that blend the heaviness of 70s Sabbath-style riffs with a 60s psychedelic atmosphere. However, this time around, the sound is flooded by the haunting presence of the hammond organ. The compositions are stranger, more experimental, and it seems DAWNRIDER have finally mastered their craft, delivering their most refined work yet.
The integration of keyboards as an essential part of their sound first began in 2013, with J.P. Costa joining the band. Since then, “Five Signs of Malice” fully embraces this evolution, all while maintaining the core elements that make DAWNRIDER stand out — thick, impenetrable basslines, drums that balance expression and precision perfectly, guitars drenched in fuzzy distortion, and a uniquely powerful vocal delivery that commands attention without ever feeling forced.
Over the years, the band has opened for bands like ORANGE GOBLIN, IRONSWORD, VICIOUS RUMORS, VALIENT THORR, NIGHT DEMON, SKULL, and TROUBLE, and performed at festivals alongside headliners such as PAGAN ALTAR. Their sound may carry a distant echo of all these groups, but they are far from derivative.
The opening track, “Twelve Severed Heads”, is a nine-minute colossus that lays bare the raw force of the new album in all its grandeur. You can’t help but be mesmerized by Diogo Simões’ jaw-dropping solo in the second half —simply phenomenal! Groovier, yet equally dark, is the following track “Old Beast”, which leans on rhythm more than melody, featuring clever shifts and an engrossing development that keeps you hooked throughout its seven-plus minutes. “King Crow”, the second lyric video released from the album, is the most straightforward and shortest track, a perfect showcase of the band’s knack for blending stoner elements with classic doom, always wrapped in a darkness that matches the lyrical themes perfectly.
“To talk about human nature is also to talk about the bestiality within us, the dark side, and our capacity to brutalize, to harm, even to take another’s life. In ‘Five Signs of Malice’, we dive deep into this disturbing reality, which is undeniably a part of the human condition”, explains Filipe Relêgo.
On this album, DAWNRIDER navigates between the 70s legacy of BLACK SABBATH and URIAH HEEP, reminiscing PENTAGRAM, COUNT RAVEN, and SAINT VITUS, while also aligning with their labelmates, NOMAD SON and ARKHAM WITCH. At times, they also recall the vibe of DOOMRAISER, ORCHID, and WITCHCRAFT, while other moments bring to mind WITCHFINDER GENERAL and GRAND MAGUS.
What sets them apart is their daring audacity to blend desert-like soundscapes with classic doom structures, all shrouded in an eerie darkness that borders on the occult. The result is beautifully captured in the brilliant track “Lawless Road”.
As with every song on the album, each track flows seamlessly into the next without gaps, and so does “Perishing Hour” that follows. Being the first lyric video released, two weeks ago, it closes the album ideally, demonstrating that DAWNRIDER has returned with unshakable confidence, significant growth, and a readiness to claim what’s rightfully theirs while expanding their fan base.
The “Outro”, melodic, haunting, and mysterious, is a one-and-a-half-minute track that wraps up the album in an unexpectedly delightful way —leaving you no choice but to press play again. Or better yet, hit repeat from the start and let the music carry you once more…
Well-done, DAWNRIDER, this is truly excellent work; I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it!
“Five Signs of Malice” was released on October 3rd by Metal on Metal, on CD.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
You can order the CD here.
