Beyond Dawn

Beyond Dawn have changed their sound as often as they have labels. In their early incarnation as a melodic black metal band with prominent trombones, it was apparent that they had a more deliberately eclectic agenda than their label-mates on Misanthropy and the like. 1999's _In Reverie_ stands now as a statement of intent, augmenting their idiosyncratic metallic sound with programmed beats and a somber intimacy that recalled _Great Annihilator_-era Swans {covering Joy Division will do that}. Subsequent titles _Electric Sulking Machine_ and _Frysh_ refined this aesthetic further while pushing the electronics into the fore and the musical content further afield. One to watch.