At this point, I live in the spaces between the times in which I get to premiere new music from Dawnwalker. The Unknowing, their previous release, has stayed constant in my rotation ever since it released last year. Ages, House of Sand, Human Ruins, Crestfallen; many of their releases hold a special place in my heart. And so, whenever the group (project? ensemble? movement?) intimate that new music is coming, I pounce on the opportunity. It also helps that you never quite know what to expect from them, keeping things interesting. This time, Dawnwalker has expanded to a twelve (!) member group to bring us The Between, a thirty-two minute long tumbling descent into a different realm that feels like a (much heavier) companion to The Unknowing's alchemical journey.
Thing is, mystery is at the core of this release and so, premiering the whole thing is not really the move. Instead, Dawnwalker have an almost three minute excerpt to share with us. They also did a bang up job of selecting one of my favorite moments from the entire journey (album? release? mystical pamphlet?), where the storm between the worlds seems to suddenly churn and abrasive, guttural vocals mix with explosive guitars. There's a lot more of these heavy, intense moments on the album, blazing in between moments of melodical introspection that will remind you immediately of The Unknowing. Indeed, I suspect that they even share common sounds, notes, and scales with that release, painting a grander universe behind both releases.
Regardless, The Between is another phenomenal excursion from one of my favorite bands in operation today. The full thing will be available for pre-order this Friday, over on Dawnwalker's Bandcamp. While you're there, please make sure to get acquainted with their back catalogue, if you are not already deeply familiar with it. You won't regert it.