Dawn Ray'd to force their way into our hearts and minds at Roadburn 2018
When black metal and political discussion meet, it’s usually not a pretty sight, and it leaves us with the difficult and frequently impossible task of trying to separate artistic output from sketchy ideals that should have no place in a modern civilised society. Which is all the more reason for us to treasure Dawn Ray’d, a relatively recent (they formed in 2015) but wonderfully formed trio from Liverpool who are unashamedly vocal about their anti-fascism, anti-racism stance.
While that fact alone is something we all can – or should! – stand behind, it’s the force with which their points are driven home that has completely floored us here at Roadburn HQ and drove us to immediately make the decision of inviting the band to the festival.
Not to devalue the essential points of the message the band puts across, which only enrich the music even further and give it a firm foundation of meaning and truth, but we do get the feeling that vocalist/violinist Simon B. could be screaming about his shopping list and Dawn Ray’d would still pack a hell of a punch.
Unleashing a heavily textured and atmospheric kind of folk-infused black metal, along the lines of Agalloch, early Empyrium or most of all Roadburn habitués Wolves In The Throne Room, enriched by tasteful violin melodies, the fact is that Dawn Ray’d practically forced their way into our hearts and minds, and consequently into Roadburn 2018, by the force of their debut The Unlawful Assembly. It’s almost hard to believe, after listening to these ten songs, that the band is only two years old and this is their debut album. But so it is, and so here they come.
The band told us:
”Being asked to play Roadburn Festival was a great moment, we were really happy to be contacted about it. Roadburn is a heavy music institution, so this definitely feels like a rite of passage or an initiation into a world we’ve always wanted to be a part of. It will be an honour to be listed in 2018’s line-up alongside some truly legendary bands, and we look forward to bringing the Dawn Ray’d battle hymns in April as a part of it! See you on the road, see you at Roadburn!”
Be prepared to raise your anti-fascist black metal flag when Dawn Ray’d go up on stage on Thursday, 19 April at Roadburn 2018.
