Dark Day
Darkest Before Dawn

THE REVIEW

I knew nothing about this third chapter branded "Giorno Nero" and led by the enigmatic Robin Lee Crutchfield (already active with the DNA).

I appreciated the very dark "Exterminating Angel," the more accessible "Window," but I thought it all ended there. And yet, life surprises you.

It surprises you because, besides this record, you learn that good old Robin has shed the guise of the dark "ceremonial" master years ago to become a sort of elf, an elf complete with fake ears and goatee, an elf who has produced much other material. Sonic material still distant from the harrowing existentialism of his first two works.

But let's get to "Darkest Before Dawn." The genre can be classified as minimal synth pop, and so far nothing new, but there is more in these thirty-six minutes of music.

The melodies become more airy, certainly less oppressive, and there is something of an Arabesque and exotic feeling hovering over everything.

Music played to dream or to evoke visions of long-lost eras.

Already from the initial "Meadowlands..." this impression arises.

The journey continues with "Darker Days," stunning and introspective, and proceeds with other tracks of the same tenor: brief but effective. An example of all, the hypnotic "The Haunted Child."

The keyboards dominate, and honestly, I do not sense any noticeable collapses in the entire sonic structure that composes the album.

Certainly, we are not facing the genius of the two works mentioned at the beginning of the review, but what can you do? Even Robin needed a break and to dedicate himself to largely different music.

Recommended for followers of this particular creature. For others, it's a must to obtain the first chapters of our beloved and quirky friend.