6 months after our introductory interview on IDIOTEQ, we’re very pleased to report that Michigan’s screamo infused chaotic hardcore duo TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN are still at their most powerful, and intriguing, and their newest 4-track EP on Zegema Beach Records is no disappointment. Their 2016’s debut EP “WEAK” proved them not to compromise their sound to anyone, and “A Shadow Circuit” is a stark reminder of that. TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN have further developed their noisy, venomous trademark, and it comes with an added ring of sonic frenziness. Listen for yourself.
The band commented:
We compose music, playing together, with an improvisational style– developing ideas in live settings. We wrote this batch of songs over the past year, refining parts as we played shows in Virgina, Ohio, Ontario, and at home in Michigan. We record in a way that emulates, as closely as possible, the way we sound playing shows and while practicing everyday. And so, all of our instrumental parts are tracked live with us playing together. We also avoid overdubbing except where absolutely necessary. As a result, this record reflects closely our individual and collective voices as musicians.
We converged on a sound for these songs that combines a lot of things we like to listen to: hardcore, doom, post-metal, and plenty of other random bits. Lyrically, themes range from naturalism, existentialism, and personal experiences with death. Because of the spontaneous nature through which we compose, we view these songs in a way as a single cohesive piece of music. We hope to communicate an explicit complexity.
Open Mind / Saturated Brain commented on one of the songs, “Dull and Grey”:
“Dull and Grey” is fucking phenomenal. This 6:10 riot begins with an unreal riff coupled with Caroline’s shrieks, is the highlight of the song, and holds strong for the first 50 seconds. I love the palm-muted guitars and slow, brooding section from 50-1:30, at which point Stephen’s haunting screams are layered over some seriously dark breakdowns. The song goes into ludicrous speed at three minutes with both members going all out and sounding akin to new Ostraca material. After a brief atmospheric interlude the song oozes back into slow, sludgy, breakdown territory until the climax from 5:50 onward. Weow, what a ride!
