Dawn Of Ashes – The Crypt Injection II / Non Serviam (CD Album – Metropolis)

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, industrial-metal.
Background/Info: Driven by Kristof Bathory, Los Angeles (USA) based Dawn Of Ashes became an established formation in the industrial-metal scene. This new work brings us back to the original sound of the band, which was inspired by pure dark-electronic music. Some of you for sure remind both official debut albums “In The Acts Of Violence” and “The Crypt Injection” released on the defunct NoiTekk.
Content: “The Crypt Injection II” indeed is a move back to the dark-electro and tormenting sound of Dawn Of Ashes, but still spiced with some heavy metal guitar riffs emerging at the debut of the work. The song “Hexcraft” features Johan Van Roy (Suicide Commando) who clearly is a source of inspiration for the dark-electro side of the album. The album end reveals remixes by Hocico and Chris Vrenna (Army Of The Universe).
+ + + : The intro cut is an instrumental, overwhelming piece of music announcing a merciless opus. And that’s precisely what is emerging from the debut part, which is a heavy fusion between industrial-metal and dark-electronics. The vocals sound like they are emerging from the throat of a possessed soul. The songs aren’t only powerful, but masterly accomplished with great sound treatments. The ‘classical’ dark-electro side is also absolutely impressive. Power and bombast create a total state of terror, which sometimes makes me think of :Wumpscut: (pay attention for “Abuse The Abuser”). Dawn Of Ashes has achieved a masterpiece, which is ended by two great remixes.
– – – : I’m not especially a ‘metal’-addict, but I’m missing some metal power in a few cuts. However I’m not really complaining.
Conclusion: This album is a real major opus, which is perfectly mixing the dark-electro side of the early years with the metal-industrial work of the later period.
Best songs: “Ahriman”, “Reborn In Fire”, “Sitra Ahra”, “Hexcraft”, “Abuse The Abuser”.
Rate: (9).
Artist: www.dawnofashes.com / www.facebook.com/Dawnofashes
Label: www.metropolis–records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords Read the news on ‘The Crypt Injection II / Non Serviam’.
About Dawn Of Ashes
Dawn Of Ashes originated in Los Angeles, USA, in the early 2000s as a dark electronic and aggrotech project built around founder and vocalist Kristof Bathory. The project evolved into a hybrid of industrial, black metal and extreme electronic music, with a visual and conceptual focus on body horror and occult symbolism.
Early releases came through the German label NoiTekk, distributed via COP International and the Russian label Gravitator: “Sacred Fever” (2005), the debut full-length “In The Acts Of Violence” (2006) and “The Crypt Injection” (2007). “Genocide Chapters” (2010) and “Anathema” (2013) shifted the sound toward blackened metal and symphonic elements.
Dawn Of Ashes signed to Metropolis Records for “Theophany” (2016) and the occult-themed “Daemonolatry Gnosis” (2017), before revisiting its early catalogue on “The Crypt Injection II / Non Serviam” in 2019, featuring Johan Van Roy of Suicide Commando on “Hexcraft” and closing remixes by Hocico and Chris Vrenna of Army Of The Universe.
The band returned to Metropolis Records in 2025 with “Infecting The Scars”, followed the same year by the remix set “Reinfecting The Scars”.
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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.

