When was the last time you heard a band that sounded as brutal as their name did? Well, get ready to meet Tracedawn. These young Finns (average age: 19!) walked down the alley of melodic death metal and they managed to catch the eye of Redhouse FMP, where they signed a record deal. The result: their debut album Tracedawn. Enjoy.

The album starts with the track which is featured in their current video and I must say, one of the best songs on the album. ‘Without Walls’ starts out really heavy and melodic; without a trace of doubt able to compete with the major ‘hits’ within the genre. The musicianship shown by these young dudes is quite impressive, indeed.

Their biggest plus is vocalist Antti Lappalainen, whose mixture of deep grunts and unique sounding clean vocals lift Tracedawn up to a level where most newcomer bands would dream to be. The sextet as a whole sounds like they’ve been making music for over 20 years. But seeing that the band members were born around 1990, the facts dismiss that thought.
Their heavy, mature sound is what supports the band’s skills to the max. Guitars and keyboards go for nice duelling solos, the bass sounds heavy as hell – especially with the fast strummed riffs – and the drums are steady and clean. The melodies may not all be as memorable as they are in ‘Without Walls’, but that is something that’ll improve in time. If they keep making records, that is.

Where to start? Where to end? Seriously, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard a debut album by a young band that knocked me off my feet. Tracedawn succeeded in that. I’m anxiously awaiting the next record, with hopefully a bit more speed riffs in it and maybe a bit less clean singing. As for you, dear readers, check this record out. You won’t regret it.