On his sixth full-length, The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn (Avantgarde), The Howling Void has crafted an album that makes the most effective use of its runtime and rarely featuring a note out of place. I think we can chalk that up to Howling Void being the singular doom vision of Ryan Wilson, hence the number of LPs within just a decade of existence.

The less-is-more songwriting game plan pays dividends on a Doom Metal album that also loves to dive into the symphonic side of the pool. Think about it, how many albums that fall under the umbrellas of doom, goth or symphonic tend to overstay their welcome? I like those styles, but I can think of more than a few recordings that have fallen for that trap. Meanwhile on The Darkness at the Edge of Dawn, a song like ‘A Seed on Stone’ stitches those three classes of metal together in a package that feels organic. Riffs hammer down from the heavens, while double kicks rumble the earth and, yet the synths feel right at home within that chaos.

‘Silence and the Setting Sun’ also exists in an alternate time-space where funeral doom can both recall Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks theme and vintage Cradle of Filth. That’s all while Wilson’s quiet vocals relax you to the point of napping. And if you enjoy soothing moments with your crushing metal, you’ll appreciate the bluesy guitar leads of the title track.

One minor drawback to keeping the music so lean, is that a couple of songs feel like they could’ve been fleshed out a hair further. ‘Distant Shores’ keeps it mostly somber by keeping it mostly acoustic, but the threat of down-tuned riffage always lurks in the edges. As I typed that out I realized how awesome it could be, but unfortunately, the ratcheting tension doesn’t come to an adequate payoff.

Solid stuff that I wish I would’ve had access to during my high school goth phase. I could’ve been cool.

8.0/10

HANS LOPEZ