Din of Awakening are an entity that have been drawing my interest for a relatively short span of time. Just a few months ago, I'd never heard of them. After noticing their debut cassette was featured on SVN OKKLT, I decided to give them some attention. An initial listen didn't fully capture my attention, yet I felt compelled to listen again. The first demo from Din of Awakening eventually grew on me, with its hazy and oppressive songs pairing nicely with its obvious inspiration from cult film Begotten. When I learned they had a second demo being released so shortly after, I was quite excited and decided to obtain a copy for myself. As a shared release from Fallen Empire in the US and Mordgrimm in the UK, this is another promising release from this young one-man project.
This second slab of filth is instantly very different. These three untitled tracks carry a strong death metal influence that the first demo lacked. Vocals are more present and aggressive and there's a greater sense of urgency here. The packaging is well designed yet sparse, primarily calling for support for the Animal Liberation Front, a group whose intense and urgent message pairs quite well with the aggression presented on this demo. The first track switches between melodic leads and bass heavy beat downs that would put modern day hardcore bands to shame in the best way possible. The second track comes in more slowly yet with equal aggression and almost has a groove you can pick out and move along with. About halfway in the volume drops considerably, making time for a quick bass solo before the entire song comes back with redoubled force and purpose. The shift in music gave me a slight alarm and I believe it was intentional. The unpredictable nature of this music is what makes it so compelling, after all. The closing track opens with feedback and fuzzy riffs that remind me of material from the first Din of Awakening demo, yet the production here is still much meatier and more balanced. This is probably the most typically black metal track on the album, although it's currently my personal favorite.
If you're interested in hearing these three hideous enigmas, you can listen in full before making a purchase. As with a handful of other recently reviewed albums, this cassette can be obtained in the Fallen Empire store for the pretty reasonable price of five dollars. With such a prolific project, I expect there will be many more Din of Awakening albums to come. Get on board before these sell out. For a beer pairing, I recommend any thick, dark beer. Even a standard Guinness will do the trick. You want something intense and thick, just like this music.
