1. "667"
(1:41) |
 |
Troglodyte
Dawn (Stone Groove)
2003Troglodyte Dawn is a one man project, by ex-D.T. Seizure vocalist Randy Michaud. Unlike D.T. Seizure, this project is not straight up heavy metal. Troglodyte Dawn incorporates many different styles to create something that is pretty hard to label. After a short intro ("667") the disc starts off with "Fallen World," a song that could probably be labeled doom metal, having much in common with Saint Vitus or the first Black Sabbath record. The primitive guitar sound and raw recording actually add to the appeal of this song. Randy's vocals are smooth and haunting. About midway through the song picks up into a full fledged rocker. Unfortunately the low budget, demo recording shows a bit more in these heavier parts. "Redeemed" is a traditional worship song punched up with heavy guitars and crowd noise mixed in. The crowd noise really adds something to an otherwise simple song. "Longing" is a somber instrumental complete with crickets chirping. "Forever After" is a Black Sabbath cover, that musically sticks very close to the original. The lyrics, however, have been mostly changed. The original had very 'spiritual' lyrics, but Randy's version is straight up Christian. (Loved the Cheech and Chong samples. They gave me a good laugh.) "Flower" returns to the more melancholy mood of the "Longing" with the worship attitude of "Redeemed." The lyrics throughout this demo are very encouraging and show that Randy has had a major life change since his days with D.T. Seizure. Whereas D.T. were singing the praises of beer, Troglodyte Dawn is singing the praises of a Living Redeemer. For me this was the most enjoyable part of the CD. I could just feel the Spirit through the music. Overall, Troglodyte Dawn offers a promising demo with some encouraging and uplifting lyrics. With a proper recording budget, and a full band, Troglodyte Dawn could probably bridge a gap between fans of traditional heavy metal and more modern styles.
Troglodyte Dawn - Kyna (Stone Groove) 2006
1. Kyna (18:25)
...I. "source"
...II. "seed"
...III "song"
...IV. "storm"
...V. "sleep"
2. "Kyna" [doom mix] (26:58)
3. "Kyna" [drone mix] (31:02)
Whereas Troglodyte Dawn's first album was doomy, stoner rock, disc number two steps way outside my area of expertise. "Kyna" is odd, experimental and atmospheric ambient music. I know nothing of this genre of music at all. Musically, I'd compare it to sitting late at night while gazing up in to the stars and zoning out. The music here isn't something you're gonna wanna play while on a road trip. Rather, it's something you want to kick back to in the late evening, which is just what I did one evening, along with my wife. Somewhere in the middle of what we thought was some relaxing ambient sounds, something thunderingly loud woke us both up. It ended up being the second song, which is another mix of "Kyna". Despite the "doom mix" tag, this song nor the follow-up are doom metal.
Troglodyte Dawn's third CD is suppose to be a return to doom metal. The working title, last I heard, is "Darkest Void" and will include a doom metal version of the old Ultimatum song, as well as a few other covers.
Related Collections:
D.T. Siezure | Tykkus