Tracedawn - Lizard Dusk (2012)

I know relatively little about Tracedawn. I know that they are from Helsinki, Finland. I know that the band was first known as Moravia but changed to Tracedawn 2007. I also know that "Lizard Dusk" is the bands third CD offering to the world of heavy metal. So since this is the third album and since they are from Finland, a land that have produced many great acts over the years, I expected some good music here.

Tracedawn is labeled as a melodic death metal band but I would consider putting in power in that title as well since some of the songs on "Lizard Dusk" are fast and cathcy (not all of them though). One song that is definetely screaming power metal is the opener "Arabian Nights". It is a fun song to listen to and it doesn't take to long to get caught up in the catchy chorus. One weakness on this song is the lyrics but I am not so picky when it comes to the lyrics. I am happy as long as it sounds good to your ears. But besides some of the more cathcier songs we also get to encounter with more well thought and well composed songs like "You're Fired!" (btw, love the title on that one!). The harsch vocalist, Niko Kalliojärvi, gets a lot of room on this track and he does it with great effectivness.

The sound overall sounds great. Production balances out the instruments almost perfect and the band just gives it all. They make pretty few mistakes during the entire album. But there is two problems that i have with this album. The intro to "The Crawl" which is just so unnecessary. They could have made that so much better. The other problem with "Lizard Dusk" is the length. The album clocks in just about under 40 minutes, which is not enough if you ask me. A perfect lenght for an album is around 45-60 minutes, a time span Tracedawn never have succeeded with fullfilling on any of their three albums. Is it that demanding to give your fans 1-2 more songs per album? Well, at least they compensate the length with making 9 kick ass songs .

I havn't listened to Tracedawn's two previous albums but if those albums are as good as this one I may consider following this band more closely. These guys got the talent and can make some sweet ass songs. Hopefully, they make an album that is over 40 minutes next time. But until then I will continue rocking to "Lizard Dusk" cause it is in deed a great album from Tracedawn.

Songs worthy of recognition: You're Fired!, Arabian Nights, "Thanks For Asking, I'm Just Obsessed"

Rating: 9/10 Machines