Dusk – Wheels of Twilight
Origin: Austria
Release: 06.10.2023
Label: Argonauta Records
Duration: 35:04
Genre: Occult Retro / Heavy Rock
The Austrian band Dusk provides us with Wheels of Twilight her debut. Nevertheless, the album is not the first sign of life, because there was one High Radiation and The Toll Already heard two EPs. In between there were plenty of live performances, including with the Swedes von Luciferwhich at first glance can also be used as a musical comparison for the style.
The content is dark and occult-tinged music, which musically fits into the genre of retro and heavy rock.
The most important identifying feature from the first note sung is probably the front woman’s voice Denika Denkmair be. It is convincing across the board and provides audible parallels to similar bands, such as those already mentioned above Lucifer or gladly too Coven.
The passing of the beautiful
Of course, it’s not just the singing voice alone Wheels of Twilight makes up. Everything rests and stands with the solid rhythm section, which usually acts quite quickly and never forgets a guitar solo. For a first listening impression I would Wendigo choose that you HERE can listen. In addition to the musical impression, there are also clues as to which direction the lyrics are heading. They are not obviously anti-Christian texts, but stories and myths about the emergence and destruction of humanity.
That’s how it is Wendigo an ancient demon that comes from Native American culture. He penetrates people, corrupts them by changing their character and converting them to destruction.
Ultimately, he drives people crazy through the obsession. Wendigo is a parable about the destruction of the beautiful and original by people’s greed, which can only be stopped by eradicating what is infected.
A dark, golden cloth
Highlighting a single track in particular is up Wheels of Twilight not easy, because the album is not hit-oriented. The overall performance is too closed and the production of the album seems like a closed circle that rounds off all the songs. It’s not just the compositions themselves that have a retro feeling. The production also has something dry and golden about it. Maybe you know the feeling of climbing up into the attic as a child and seeing the sun’s rays falling through the roof hatch in the warm and dusty dryness of the semi-darkness? That’s how I feel about the production. It is dry, old in a positive sense and lies like a large blanket over the seven compositions.
Ultimately, after listening to it several times, I have to say that despite all the unity, there is a gap. The beginning seems more dynamic and quicker, which is what happens until Empress of the Emptiness may be due to the shorter compositions. The images that the songs leave behind are gone Shapeshifter / Driving My Love Away more intense. That’s why the final ones fall to my ear Inquisitors of the Mountain Cult and The Wan Four also freer and a bit more generous. The last three minutes are wonderfully playful The Wan Fourin which the vocals complement and overlap with the band and especially the guitar and forget about time.
Conclusion
Dusk have created a successful album for fans of retro and heavy rock, which initially appears very balanced due to the overall picture and production. However, upon repeated listening, it splits Wheels of Twilight in a quicker beginning and a more intense and generous second part, which you can’t get enough of in the long run. 7,5 / 10
Line Up
Denika Denkmair – Gesang
Christian Pichler – Bass
Stefan Höfler – drums
Sebastian Raubitzek – guitar
Tracklist
01. Wheels of Twilight
02. Wendigo
03. The Dagger
04. Empress of the Emptiness
05. Shapeshifter / Driving My Love Away
06. Inquisitors of the Mountain Cult
07. The Wan Four
Links
Facebook Dusk
Bandcamp Dusk
Instagram Dusk
Also on Soundmagnet.eu
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Interview – The Riven, asked Arnau Diaz
Album Review – The Hirsch Effekt – Urian
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