Vital Remains – Dawn Of The Apocalypse

Vital Remains knows how to be detailed and thorough.

Here we have a concentrated dose of genre cruelty, but in contrast to the seeming musical fanaticism, this very music was not just forgotten, but recorded so much that not everyone can understand it on the first attempt. There are no chaotic solutions, oddly enough, but a thorough approach to writing ultra-brutal compositions for 8-9-10 minutes is akin to a race for the championship complicates understanding. The record is a whole piece of music that properly straightens the brain. Almost any Vital Remains album needs some kind of preparation or something, in a special mood. The albums of this band are good when you listen to them from beginning to end, and then give yourself a pause to cool down a little, after which, over time, somehow the music gets closer and follows through the years.

Dawn of the Apocalypse is great. There are a lot of things in it, the composer's decisions draw apocalyptic images before eyes. From such music, it is the heavenly clouds will open up, and the ground will break under your feet to hell. When other bands stop in musical violence, Vital Remains sometimes only add attack and just grind into atoms... It is useless to resist, and they do not take prisoners. Pompous brutality is their thing. Acoustic parts from time to time sound just like a mockery!

This album is well composed and well recorded. However, it is not very clear what the band and the label were thinking when they decided to release this 58-minute album on one vinyl. When placing 30 minutes of such intense and concentrated music on one side... it's losing the power. It sounds quiet enough and not voluminous enough. In terms of dynamics, this vinyl is very close in the CD version and you can still argue which of the media is better for this case. Traditionally for Osmose, the design and packaging for edition are excellent. Vinyl has a good color and is successfully matched with main artwork. My copy was ordered new from the label - a perfectly smooth surface and a ideally clean playback. But, unfortunately, this vinyl does not reveal the potential of this album as it deserves. Of course, this press is not bad and is able to please its owner, so it will have to leave it in the collection. But if this masterpiece is ever re-released in DLP format, then I will order it first.

DR10, same as CD. At least the sound doesn't get distorted and muddy close to the center labels. My pressing is very crackly - it's a crapshoot with GZ presses, sometimes you get clean pressings, and half the time they're crackle-city. This was to be expected with an album that runs an hour and made without the end product being at a $40 price range.

Great sounding pressing. This to me is the most underrated of the first 5 classic Vital Remains albums. Really solid songwriting and wonderful performances by the entire band. I’m digging the color swirl vinyl too. Go get one!