[THE FLYING LUGAW] EP REVIEW: CREPUSCULAR DAWN — IN FILMIC STASIS

Hardcore turned post-punk: At least, that is where the appeal for the newly formed post-punk outfit, Crepuscular Dawn, who recently unveiled their debut release, In Filmic Stasis, comes from. And while some may argue that hardcore and post-punk/no-wave come under the same umbrella, one cannot deny that switching styles can be an arduous task, especially for the more creatively established musician.

Upon rummaging through the vast archives of old, forgotten performance clips from the peripheries of the local hardcore scene, all in search of any material from the members of Crepuscular Dawn’s other projects, I was only able to find a handful of music to go by — one from Bandcamp and the other.

The parent hardcore bands in question are Eyes of Fire and Off the Chain, the former of which had a studio album — branded as stoner blues rock -, a live album, and a demo release published on Bandcamp, all for the taking. As for the latter, all I gathered was a live performance of their song Mainland Pride on YouTube.

Fast forward to In Filmic Stasis, the once brutal and in-your-face mosh preachers are now sporting synths, dismal and eloquent songwriting, a melancholic Insiang (1976) cover art, and a copious amount of reverb and high pass filter across the guitars and vocals, respectively. Sad vibes all over, but you can still bang your head to it.

Whirlwind is a brilliant tone-setter, kicking off with a rich rhythm section backed by an infectious guitar riff, and the singer’s expressive and emotional crooning that remains at the forefront throughout the five-track project.

True to the band’s hardcore roots, Geworfenheit then takes all these elements and elevates them even further. The vocals are much more potent, the wall of guitar and synth passages that are simultaneously at play is explosive, and the glittery counter-melody provides more glam.

Pilgrim is memorable for its intense and powerful guitar-bass line that complements the thumping batterie, and that “Death is the only constant” line that goes on repeat at the final leg of the track. Much like Geworfenheit, it borrows a lot from the band members’ former hardcore sensibilities.

The first three-track run is a strong and uncontested one, but even Empire of Speed, which follows after Pilgrim, has its fair share of amazing feats. It is easily Crepuscular Dawn’s most upbeat and straightforward song on the record, thus making it stand out on its own, at least before Leper God plunges in the opposite direction to finish In Filmic Stasis at a depressive note — typical gothic fashion.

Originally published at http://theflyinglugawph.wordpress.com on April 2, 2022.