| The demo compilation The Eternal Forest brings together the complete early recordings of Swedish cult band DAWN, featuring tracks from Demo 1 '92, Apparition, and Promo '93—now available on white vinyl limited to only 500 copies. Fully remastered by Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Asphyx, Dissection) and created in close collaboration with DAWN founder Fredrik Söderberg, this release captures the raw beginnings of a band that would soon evolve from primal Swedish death metal into some of the most masterfully crafted melodic black metal of the 1990s. An essential document of DAWN’s formative years.
The Eternal Forest: Demo Years ’91–’93 serves as a compelling document of DAWN’s formative era, gathering the Swedish band’s three early recordings—Demo 1 ’92, Apparition, and Promo ’93—into one essential collection. Far more than a footnote in the Scandinavian black/death metal timeline, this anthology captures a band already brimming with a dark and melodic vision that would soon come to full fruition.
From the raw yet confident energy of Demo 1 ’92, it’s clear that DAWN were carving their own path from the beginning. The riffs, while steeped in the classic death metal tradition, shimmer with a cold, desolate atmosphere. There's a sense of urgency in the performance, yet an impressive attention to structure and flow—rare for a first demo.
Apparition, the 1993 follow-up, shows the band growing rapidly in both ambition and execution. The production sharpens, the compositions stretch out, and the band’s melodic sensibility comes to the fore. It's here that DAWN truly begin to bridge the gap between the aggression of death metal and the icy majesty that would define Scandinavian black metal. The title track, in particular, is a highlight, showcasing soaring melodies that rise above a pummeling rhythmic foundation.
With Promo ’93, DAWN seem poised for greatness. The material is darker, more refined, and atmospheric in ways that foreshadow their landmark full-lengths. The guitars weave a tapestry of melancholic harmony, while the vocals deliver their wrath with commanding presence. This final demo in the collection reveals a band on the verge of stepping beyond the underground entirely.
Altogether, The Eternal Forest is not only a must-have for fans of DAWN, but also a fascinating look at the early 90s Swedish extreme metal scene—raw, driven, and crackling with potential. These recordings are more than just the first steps of a cult band; they are haunting echoes from a time when the boundaries of genre were still being redrawn, and DAWN were among the most evocative voices leading the charge.
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