Dawn of Solace - Affliction Vortex

Dawn of Solace is a doom metal band from Finland, who formed in 2005.  The band is one of many projects from the highly prolific musician Tuomas Saukkonen, also from Wolfheart, Before The Dawn, and Black Sun Aeon, among others.  Joining him on this doomed out musical path is clean vocalist Mikko Heikkilä, from the band Kaunis Kuolematon (who released a very good album in 2023). 

“Affliction Vortex,” is the band’s fourth full-length album.  Across the album’s 9 song, 40 minute run time, Tuomas provides all the instruments and harsh vocals and Mikko gives an incredibly poignant performance with his always wonderful cleans.   There seems to be a greater use of growls/screams on this album—nothing but a good thing, to me.  It seems Red Moon Architect’s keyboardist Saku Moilanen provides keys as well.  In addition, Jukka Salovaara supplies lead guitars, though I am unsure to what capacity. 

The duo’s music can be described as melodic death/doom but there is, of course, a huge Gothic doom influence as well.  As a whole, I find “Affliction Vortex,” is the duo finding their stride and really honing in on their sound.  It’s balanced, both heavy and light in equal measures, and hits the sweet spot for what I look for in this style.

The album begins with the simple intro, “Inception,” which isn’t anything overly engaging but it sets the tone for the rest of the album and leads into the first proper track, “Murder.”

“Murder,” immediately takes me back to when I first discovered melodic Gothic doom decades ago.  The harmonies, riffs….everything is spot on.  Mikko’s vocals are smooth but sorrowful and powerful—definitely one of the best vocalists in the business right now.  The song uses  tones during his performances, building up the heavier moments in between the stanzas so when the chorus hits, it hits hard.  

“Into The Light,” pushes urgency into the album but it's immediately catchy–Tuomas knows just how to use melody to engage the listener while never letting it overshadow any other elements.   The guitar/bass is low and slow while the double bass runs an undercurrent of fury that keeps the energy going.  Mikko’s vocals pair well with Tuomas’ own and the two of them are quite the dynamic force to be reckoned with. 

“Invitation,” is one of my favorites on the album—the moody, atmospheric riffs and the drums that complement them are early highlights on the song.  Mikko’ sings his heart out afterwards, his Gothic croons dancing among the clean notes. Tuomas’ growls are abrasive, the perfect counterbalance for both Mikko and the melodies. The solo is killer, the best on the album, and it’s awesome how it begins emotively but ends as a shred fest. 

“Dream,” is another favorite of mine.  It glides along smoothly, the transitions between clean and heavy are effortless. The vocal rhythms are catchy, as well as the chorus.  The riffs are some of the more sweltering on the album, the distortion sinking deep into the bones of the song.  I like the fade out after the three minute mark, a moment where the song feeds off its own energy and builds back up to a massive climax with a short but gripping solo.

The final song, “Mother Earth,” is a fantastic representation of the album’s sound—if someone asked me which song best represents the album, and even the band as a whole, I would suggest this one.  It has everything the band offers on a massive scale.  The lead melodies in the beginning contrast with the riffs even while they both use music to tell the story.  Both vocalists give a hell of a performance too.

All in all, “Affliction Vortex,” is yet another impressive album in both the discography of Dawn of Solace and Tuomas’ own ever sprawling music.  If you’re a fan of the band, doom in general, or just have a general love for either musicians, there isn’t any reason this album won’t be a paramount listening experience for you. 

Rating: Excellent