Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Dawn of Azazel - Sedition - 2006 - Ibex Moon Records

Track Listing1. Uncontrolled 2. Alone and Bored 3. Crushing the Master Tree 4. Iron Genesis 5. Wraith Omen 6. Winds of Vengence 7. Serpent's Sky Secrets 8. Apocalyptic Warriors 9. Ghost Rider

Dawn of Azazel claim to be at the forefront of New Zealand metal, bringing it to the rest of the world. They’re able to do this mostly because they’re signed to an American label, Ibex Moon Records. Label owner John McEntee of the well-known American death metal band Incantation has done a lot to help out this band, including having them tour the US with his band. Sadly, all of McEntee’s efforts can’t change one simple, unfortunate fact: they’re bad.

I don’t even want to waste my time or energy actually writing a review for this band… but I will. They play a bland, generic, boring sort of music. It’s a cross between all the worst aspects of death metal, black metal, thrash metal, and hardcore. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about their sound, and nothing that makes this band even remotely worthwhile to listen to. And, to add to all of this horribleness, the drums on all of the tracks on “Sedition” sound like they were recorded with worse equipment than Fenriz used to record his rough cuts back in 1994… while the rest of the album has average production. At least when it’s ALL produced badly, it makes some sort of sense. However, it sounds like the bassist is actually able to keep in rhythm with the rest of the band’s aural chaos, so I won’t give this record a zero. I’m going to stop writing about this band now, and go do something more productive...like kick myself in the groin.

2/10

--Veritas 08.10.06