Dawn Of Ashes – Scars Of The Broken (Album – Artoffact)
Genre/Influences: Industrial, Metal, Dark-Electro.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Two years after the great “The Antinomian”-album Dawn Of Ashes strikes back with a new opus. “Scars Of The Broken” has been introduced by Kristof Bathory as his most personal work dealing with mental issues.
Content: Sound-wise Dawn Of Ashes moves on the path from previous releases. There’s a constant sonic merge between Metal-, Industrial- and Dark-Electronic music. The songs have been empowered by epic arrangements and the familiar, tenebrous shouts of Bathory. Together with the dark strings hanging over the work it creates a true apocalyptic vision.
+ + + : Dawn Of Ashes already took me by surprise and especially the first half of the album is driven by apocalyptic power. This is an ultra-professional production featuring a perfect balance between guitar and electronics. The production of the vocals injects an extra haunting effect to the work. The sphere supporting the album has something tormenting which totally fits with the inspiring theme of the work. It’s also accentuated by the titles and themes of songs like “Emdr”, “Limbo (Numb)” and of course the title track itself. “It Comes In Waves” and “Bane Of Your Existence” both are masterpieces for the elevating guitar sensation and impressive, orchestral arrangements. But there are more outstanding cuts featured.
– – – : As I already mentioned the first half of the album is amazing while the second half sounds cool as well but without similar highlights.
Conclusion: This album is already a great and accomplished production by Dawn Of Ashes which I consider as one of the real references in its music genre.
Best songs: “It Comes In Waves”, “Bane Of Your Existence”, “Emdr”, “The Despondent Hole”, “Love Is Asphyxiation”, “The Antidote”.
Rate: 9.
Artist: http://dawnofashesband.com / www.facebook.com/dawnofashes
Label: www.artoffact.com / www.facebook.com/artoffact Read the news on ‘Scars Of The Broken’.
Artoffact Records released “Scars Of The Broken” on 18 March 2022, digitally and on CD. The twelve tracks are “(Descending) Torn Inside”, “Love is Asphyxiation”, “The Despondent Hole”, “EMDR”, “Bane of Your Existence”, “(Limbo) Numb”, “It Comes in Waves”, “Heart Beats Cold”, “Turn It Shallow”, “Scars of the Broken”, “The Antidote” and “(Ascending) Catharsis”.
Listen to “Scars Of The Broken”:
About Dawn Of Ashes
Dawn Of Ashes is the American project led by vocalist Kristof Bathory. It started in 2005 with “Sacred Fever”, followed by “In The Acts Of Violence” in 2006, “The Crypt Injection” in 2007 and “Genocide Chapters” in 2010. The band moved towards black and industrial metal on the “Farewell To The Flesh” EP for Metal Blade Records in 2012, “Anathema” in 2013, “Theophany” in 2016 and “Daemonolatry Gnosis” in 2017.
“The Crypt Injection II (Non Serviam)” and “Origin Of The Ashes” both appeared in 2019, followed by “The Antinomian” in 2020 and the “Blood Of The Titans” EP on Artoffact Records in 2021. “Scars Of The Broken” followed in March 2022.
Bathory continued the sequence with “Reopening The Scars” in April 2024, after announcing a return to Metropolis Records in November 2023. “Infecting The Scars” arrived in 2025 and the remix set “Reinfecting The Scars” later the same year. The project recorded the single “Penumbra” with Suicide Commando ahead of the 2026 album “Anatomy Of Suffering”.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
