New Music Review: Taking Dawn

Skimming through the 'music issue' of my favoured glossy yesterday, I came across a section entitled 'The only ones to watch'. The article selected six different artists from as many genres, picking those who are about ready to hit the big time and if you were to start name-dropping now, you'd look pretty cool come winter. I've selected the metal entry, Taking Dawn, to write a short review about their track, 'Endlessly.' The guys hail from Las Vegas and are busy recording their debut album, having signed recently to Roadrunner Records (Nickelback, Slipknot, Trivium) whilst being dubbed '80s hard rockers for the Myspace generation'. You heard them here first (hopefully).

Something fresh, something different; certainly what our current music industry is in dire need of. The new wave of 80s-inspired dance/pop acts taking over our airwaves this summer has been a sure fire hit on the popular festival circuit, but we are in need of a slightly different 80s revival. And this is where Taking Dawn step up. Endlessly smacks of a forgotten 80s metal scene, these kids grew up listening to their forefathers of rock; Skid Row, Guns n Roses, Bon Jovi and the like, and have certainly put a fresh spin on the genre nearly 30 years on. The often-wailing guitars of front-man Chris Babbitt and his aide Mikey Cross sit perfectly atop the riff-heavy verses and the many layered, harmoniuos vocal lines of the whole band throughout really give it that 80s pinch. Alan Doucette's drums are simple; sitting nicely at the back of the mix like they should be; none of this fancy over-the-top stuff that's all too apparent in the young metal scene. He provides the back beat and nothing more. Lead singer Babbitt's vocals compliment the band's sound brilliantly with their raunchy, gutty rock edge reminiscent not just of modern metal saviours such as Hinder, but also tipping their cap to a hint of Axl Rose. Defintely worth a listen if you're in need of something fresh with that retro edge. Endlessly is taken from their debut album, the 'Taking Dawn Digital EP', due for release in November this year and you can access a free download of Endlessly here.