History & Biography The death metal band Abysmal Dawn was formed in Los Angeles in December of 2003 following the departure of Charles Elliott from Rise. The band recorded a self-titled demo in the autumn of 2004 and recruited bassist Mike Bear of Prototype fame. Several concerts with Krisiun, Aborted and others followed. The band signed to Crash Music in the winter of 2006 and soon issued the From Ashes album. The album was recorded at Shiva Industries. Bassist Arriola was soon recruited. The band was added to the Grave and Dismember tour of North America in 2006 and then subsequently dropped from the line-up. The gang parted ways with bassist Carlos Arriola in January of 2007 due to personal differences. Mike Cosio (Grave Desecration and formerly of Excretion) joined the band on bass in March. The band left Crash Music in late 2007 and was looking for a new label. The band was also recording a new album. The band (now Jamie Boulanger: guitars, Charles Elliott: guitars, vocals, Terry Barajas: drums and Mike Cosio: bass) was working on its Relapse debut and follow-up to From Ashes as of early 2008. Jamie Boulanger was lost to his family in the middle of 2008. His replacement was one Ian Jekelis of Artisan. He would last two years. The new man was already on tour with the band prior to the official separation. The band was embarking on a western US tour with Sothis in late 2008. The tour, dubbed the Endless Wintour, was to kick off on December 5th in Bakersfield, CA and end in Hollywood on December 14th. The band had just filmed a video for the title track to its album, Programmed To Consume. After losing drummer Terry Barajas in April and using Ken Bedene of Blood Of Cain on the last two tours, the band was seeking a permanent replacement in the summer of 2009. The group’s most recent tour was cut short because Swwaats and Abigail Williams had to go home early. Abigail Williams claimed it was winding down dates for the Conquered & Cursed Tour due to sickness and flu within the band. Abysmal Dawn announced the title of its next album as Leveling The Plane Of Existence. The album, the follow-up to 2008’s Programmed To Consume, had been set for a February 1st North American release date through Relapse Records.
Abysmal Dawn would release a full-length album, called Obsolescence, on October 28, 2014 through Relapse. Cannibal Corpse would kick off 2016 with a month-long tour of North America in February with openers Obituary, as direct support, followed by Canada's Cryptopsy and Abysmal Dawn. Season Of Mist signed Abysmal Dawn in 2017. An album was due in 2018. James Coppolino was on drums. The album came in 2020. In the meantime, Abysmal Dawn, Incantation and Marduk toured North America in 2017. Abysmal Dawn was releasing a new EP, entitled Nightmare Frontier, through Season Of Mist on 04.02.2022. The group was opening for Cryptopsy on the road in the summer of 2023. The band was writing new music in 2024, but took time to appear at Armstrong Metal Fest.
Reviews ABYSMAL DAWN - FROM ASHES - CRASH 
Death metal fans, listen up! Neither the fastest nor the heaviest band around, though extreme by any measure, young Los Angeles band Abysmal Dawn’s nine-track debut album combines all the elements one expects from a band in the sub-genre in precise proportions for perfection. Taking its cues from Krisiun (riffs), Florida death metal (vocals, tight delivery and leads) and even soloing a la Necrophobic’s debut The Nocturnal Silence, From Ashes by former Rise (get it?) personnel packs a punch both powerful and commendable. The band has also wisely deemed it necessary to add just enough variety to keep the delivery fresh without deviating from the core of the sub-genre. The result, both die-hards and casual death metal listeners may come to appreciate From Ashes. Be it the excellent leads, the multiple vocal tones or the tempo changes, the mixture keeps things fresh without ever giving one the feeling of being short-changed. Barely an American death metal album this year will top From Ashes. The sound production by one John Haddad is also clearly complimentary.
Songs like In The Hands Of Death, Blacken Sky and Crown Desire will rip the skin off one’s face, but keep the death metal fan’s smile intact. - Ali “The Metallian”
Interviews
|
