Biography
Two distinct metal acts have gone by the name Black Dawn. One is a Finnish death metal and black metal group that issued Blood for Satan on Necropolis, a Scandinavian imprint known for death metal, black metal, and grindcore releases, during the early 2000s. The subject here is a separate New York alternative metal band that has operated on the local scene since the early 1990s and has explicitly distanced itself from its namesake. On the group’s website the New York musicians declared, “We have nothing to do with Satanism, black metal, Necropolis Records, or a disc called Blood for Satan.”
Guitarist Tom Kelly assembled the original lineup in suburban Long Island in 1992. Kelly initially viewed the project as a secondary endeavor, yet it gradually absorbed the bulk of his creative energy. The band’s forceful, intense, yet melodic alternative metal draws from Metallica and Pantera as well as from Testament’s late-1980s and early-1990s recordings, made before the latter act shifted direction with its 1997 album Demonic. Observers have also noted parallels to Megadeth and Venom; while Black Dawn does not play thrash metal outright, its sound reflects the impact of several acts that emerged from that scene.
After years of regional performances, the group cultivated a modest following across the Northeastern United States. Five years after its formation, Black Dawn entered the studio to record its self-titled debut for the Long Island-based Suicidal Groove label, releasing the album in 1997. The following year the band issued the EP Live at CBGB, captured at the renowned Manhattan club on the Lower East Side. Suicidal Groove then put out Absence of Time, the band’s second full-length album, in 1999.
Membership has shifted since the early days; by the late 1990s and early 2000s the lineup featured Tom Kelly on rhythm guitar, Matt Kotten handling lead vocals and lead guitar, James Lane on electric bass, and Enzo Di Paolo on drums. Lane launched his own web-development firm, JimmyLane.com, in 1999. In 2002 Black Dawn marked its tenth anniversary.
Guitarist Tom Kelly assembled the original lineup in suburban Long Island in 1992. Kelly initially viewed the project as a secondary endeavor, yet it gradually absorbed the bulk of his creative energy. The band’s forceful, intense, yet melodic alternative metal draws from Metallica and Pantera as well as from Testament’s late-1980s and early-1990s recordings, made before the latter act shifted direction with its 1997 album Demonic. Observers have also noted parallels to Megadeth and Venom; while Black Dawn does not play thrash metal outright, its sound reflects the impact of several acts that emerged from that scene.
After years of regional performances, the group cultivated a modest following across the Northeastern United States. Five years after its formation, Black Dawn entered the studio to record its self-titled debut for the Long Island-based Suicidal Groove label, releasing the album in 1997. The following year the band issued the EP Live at CBGB, captured at the renowned Manhattan club on the Lower East Side. Suicidal Groove then put out Absence of Time, the band’s second full-length album, in 1999.
Membership has shifted since the early days; by the late 1990s and early 2000s the lineup featured Tom Kelly on rhythm guitar, Matt Kotten handling lead vocals and lead guitar, James Lane on electric bass, and Enzo Di Paolo on drums. Lane launched his own web-development firm, JimmyLane.com, in 1999. In 2002 Black Dawn marked its tenth anniversary.
Albums
