Just Before Dawn - A War Too Far

Angry Metal Guy 60

Swedish war mongers Just Before Dawn are back once again to weave bloody tales of man’s inhumanity to man through their tried-and-true variant of doomy death metal. The Bolt Thower influences are never far from their chosen sound and style and after four full-lengths and several EPs, including last year’s Battle-Sight Zeroing, Just Before Dawn have done all they could to fill the hole left by the beloved U.K. fighting unit and battle buddies Hail of Bullets. On A War Too Far they continue to do what they do best – ply you with heavy, grinding, mostly mid-tempo death with one foot in the trench and the other on your throat. You’ve heard it before and you probably want to hear it again. Can you feel the rumble in the earth as the tanks draw ever closer to your feeble fortifications?

The formula Just Before Dawn stick to so tenaciously is an effective one. It’s almost like Both Thrower was back and collaborating wtih Hail of Bullets, and song after song hits that sweet spot with heavy artillery. Opener “Innocence Lost” is ugly and heavy but melancholic, as any reflection on war should be. The pace switches between punishing trem-heavy speed and slower grinding segments that feel massive. The forlorn guitarwork that drifts in and out recalls 1914 and so all the war masters are accounted for. “Operation Arc Light” keeps the forward momentum going, pushing back resistance and culling the enemy hordes with machine-gun-like riffage. There’s a certain effortless feeling to the way the band crafts these war-themed tracks and layers them with effective riffs that conjure multiple emotions. The heaviness and bleak atmosphere are equally present in everything. Cuts like “La Drang” are not complex or pushing any envelopes but the blueprint works and you get solid, heavy, grim songs that smack of the aforementioned genre bigs.

The only track that really throws an exploding curveball is “The Gulf of Tonkin,” which at times slips closer to Amon Amarth with glory-inspired riffs that make you want to form a shield wall with friends. I suppose this shouldn’t be a big shocker as founding guitarist Anders Biazzi was a member of that Viking crew for 16 years. Nothing here is disposable filler, though the highs may not be as high as they’ve been on past works. It’s a pretty effortless spin at 46 minutes and everything checks the ammo boxes, even when it feels quite familiar. And that may be the biggest knock against it. There’s a feeling of having heard this plenty of times before, both from Just Before Dawn and their targeted inspirations.

The end product is first and foremost a riff show, and Anders Biazzi and Gustav Myrin can crack out quality leads and harmonies in their deepest trench sleep. The ever-present blend of aggression balanced by a forlorn, hopeless vibe is commendable and well-executed as always, and the leads have genuine weight and gravitas. Remco Kreft (Graveless, Soulburn) once again delivers a ballcrushing vocal performance full of rage and power. He’s got a great raspy death roar and brings ugliness to the front lines. Jon Rudin (Heads for the Dead, Massacre) serves up a pounding, grinding turn on the kit, sounding like various war noises during the heavy segments then dialing way back for the somber reflective moments. A wealth of guests appear as well, most notably James Murphy of Death and Obituary fame drops by to handle lead guitar on the title track and Matias Nastolin of Decaying and Desolate Realm assists on vocals for “The Odyssey of Echo Company.” The various cameos are seamlessly added to the formula and never steal the show.

A War Too Far is another entertaining dose of warcore by Just Before Dawn, showing that they can do this specific style as well or better than anyone out there. It may have signs of war fatigue and PTSD creeping in at times but it still works and makes for an enjoyably bleak, crushing spin. Play it loud, and watch the world burn. War is still Hell.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Raw Skull Recordz
Websites: justbeforedawn1.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/JustBeforeDawn
Releases Worldwide: September 29th, 2023

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