Dusk

Album Review

Too long for an EP, a little short for an LP, Dusk's eponymous debut contains six deathly grinds in the four-to-five-minute range — relatively brief by doom standards, you might notice. In fact, although death/doom is most certainly Dusk's bread and butter, they refuse to hold themselves hostage to its most basic tenet of unparalleled indolence, weaving some unnaturally animated, double kick drum-driven speeds throughout tracks like "Envision the Terror," "Elements of Symmetry," and "Dreamscape." Elsewhere, "Consigned to Oblivion" and "Mourning Shadow" also find some time to counter their nearly atonal extremity with ample doses of synthesizer melodies, for a nicely gothic effect. Through it all, instrumental prowess and confident performance generally exceeds the band's creative talents, but considering the time frame and the lack of resources at their disposal during these recordings, Dusk were well deserving of their immediate cult status.