Nightmare Frontier (EP)

How welcome to see even a stopgap EP, only the first from these sci-fi deathmongers, and a more than solid one at that. A Nightmare Slain kicks proceedings off, a new track (and one tying into that Bloodborne-referencing title as a read of the lyrics shows) with the band's typically ferocious assault that packs in plenty of riffs and guitar leads and even a hint of melancholic grandiosity by the end - terrific, the sort of death metal that you could use to introduce the band to a newcomer. After that, a re-recorded version of demo-era Blacken the Sky adds both extra heaviness and melodicism, a sharp breakdown exercising those necks and rounding out the band's own-written half of the EP well. Both cover versions that end the EP are terrific, in different ways. In Flames' Behind Space gets a new coat of paint, showing how well Abysmal Dawn's formula can reproduce old-school melodic death. Conversely the band's take on Candlemass' Bewitched is shockingly faithful to the point where the clean vocals from Charles Elliott are a hugely impressive imitation of Messiah Marcolin. Some backing snarls help distinguish the two a little more but even so it's hardly what you expect of a band so entrenched in the death metal realm as Abysmal Dawn, and something fans of them (and true doom, of course!) will love. A reminder how much fun EPs can be and a good introduction to Abysmal Dawn if you missed their solid past few albums.