Tuomas Saukkonen is a busy man. After deciding in 2013 to put his other projects on hold and fully focus on WOLFHEART, he couldn’t stop his creativity, so he restarted both BEFORE THE DAWN and DAWN OF SOLACE. While DAWN OF SOLACE was originally founded as a doom/death metal project with Lars Eikind on vocals, its reincarnation has taken a mellower course, focusing more on atmospheric and melodic metal. The biggest change however was bringing in Mikko Heikkilä as a new singer, formerly of SINAMORE and currently active as lead vocalist of KAUNIS KUOLEMATON. His melodic and melancholic vocal style has been a key element in defining the band’s new sound, while Saukkonen’s growls had completely left the building. The new collaboration has led to the release of two albums, “Waves” and “Flames of Perdition,” diving deeply into that typical Finnish melancholy, but without the dynamic that made debut album “The Darkness” so great. Will the new album, titled “Affliction Vortex,” released on February 14th, 2025, via Noble Demon, bring us more of the same, or can we expect another change in style?
It’s a little bit of both, actually. The growls are back, but that doesn’t mean that the band have fully returned to their roots. Instead, we get a perfect blend of melody, aggression, and the sadness that defines this band. At times, the lines between DAWN OF SOLACE and BEFORE THE DAWN get a little blurry, so fans of both bands can find something interesting here. Saukkonen’s songwriting and riffs are among his best work on “Affliction Vortex,” creating a powerful dynamic between howling leads and crushing heaviness. This versatile approach also suits Heikkilä’s voice better: while he is a great singer, he functions better in a dynamic environment with some contrast to break the monotony. All of this doesn’t mean that “Affliction Vortex” is a disjointed or incoherent effort: on the contrary, the songs have been crafted excellently to display the strengths of DAWN OF SOLACE, delivering songs that are both emotional and memorable. The greatest examples of this are “Fortress,” “Rival,” and especially “Invitation,” but there isn’t a single mediocre song on the album. The production is effective too, emphasizing the vocals and the guitars equally, while the drums and the bass take on a more supportive role. It adds to the emotional impact of the album without diminishing its heaviness.
In conclusion, “Affliction Vortex” is a truly great album. It’s captivating, full of excellent songs, and ingests the right amount of melancholy without getting overly dramatic. While I had some trouble sitting out the previous two albums fully, this one easily holds my full attention for multiple runs in a row, unveiling more of its secrets every time. It is among Tuomas Saukkonen’s best work, and it’s impressive to still find this kind of creativity after releasing so many albums with different bands. Fans of KATATONIA, GHOST BRIGADE, or SWALLOW THE SUN know what to do.
Written by Lykle Thijssen
Tracklist
- Inception
- Murder
- Fortress
- Into the Light
- Rival
- Invitation
- Dream
- Perennial
- Mother Earth
Lineup
Tuomas Saukkonen – Vocals (harsh), Guitars, Bass, Drums
Mikko Heikkilä – Vocals (clean)
Label
Noble Demon
