Band info 
Band: Dawn Treader
Album: Bloom & Decay
Released: released August 23rd, 2024
Genre: blackgaze
Location: UK
Review
Like a soothing mist, it comes from the alleys of London today to paint an image in our minds of what is probably one of the closing and more interesting releases of the year so far for us (we are not biased, we promise): Dawn Treader ‘s latest album, ‘Bloom & Decay’.
Wandering into concepts around cycles in life, which seem to always be like the Ouroboros that just starts and ends, this album brings to mind a striking and emotionally pushing rollercoaster of ideas that will not leave you hanging for just a second, not even in the calmest moments, as with the album’s starting point.
As the very cover illustrates (and we could also cite Bill Peel here extracting some ideas poured into his “Tonight it’s a World we Bury”), we are delving into what decay is, and how what seems to be the end of something, could also be the start for something else, channelling into the sonic shape as this pulsating and cleverly put together a puzzle of melodies, notes and ripping riffs, on the most intense parts, that brings to life what’s to experience and express living a constant battle of hope and determination faced by the struggle that never ends to throw us apathy and disillusion.
In this canvas, Ross Connell paints this landscape in his ever-evolving style within an already diverse and complex frame. It is the meeting point between post-metal with strong atmospheric arrangements and passages holding the weight of the tune behind certain songs, hand in hand with shoegaze, and enough black metal elements to make it both cold and warm in a vibrant, solid concept taking life.
If one could imagine what it would be like mixing Sadness (US) with the ‘The Elk‘ era Thränenkind sound would be (and in this case, also many shared values and ideas in both cases poured with an open heart into the artistic effort), the result might land as close to this as it comes, intensely personal and thoroughly introspective.”
With this, the Network would just like to wish Ross a happy birthday which happens to be today with this upload, and we encourage any listener that enjoyed this fantastic album to show him some love!
Other links and platforms:
BC: https://dawntreaderuk.bandcamp.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dawntreaderuk/