Welcome to our third edition of throwback reviews. I know it has been a couple weeks since the last one, so I hope you’re ready for a good one. Today’s feature is The Dawn Retreat, who have recently reunited with a new single. While the new single shows a progression in sound and lyrical maturity, I invite you to follow me back to 2011 to the release of their first album.
Royalty is 11 tracks (well, 12 if you have the CD with the acoustic bonus track) of late-teen, mid-to-late 2000s angst. It’s part heavy, part fun, part catchy, and part lyrically-dense. I’d describe it as alternative metal, though I’m not sure that’s the best descriptor. There are elements of The Used, Taking Back Sunday, and the like. It’s not metalcore, but it’s also not what I’d describe as post-hardcore. Perhaps I’ll just refer to them by the tag on their Bandcamp page – gentlemancore.
Drink the Poise In hearkens back to old school Chasing Victory, with plenty of energy and a gang vocal outro. Captain Planet is almost a pop-punk song. Miraculous is lamentful. Vampires in White Shoes dabbles with a spoken word segment. Kings & Queens (Say When) reminds us of the triumphant return of Christ.
There are plenty of good moments on the album, albeit it’s a bit raw and, well, slightly gimmicky, much like other albums released in the same period. Nonetheless, the album is easy to enjoy and the new material is very promising. Follow The Dawn Retreat on Facebook and listen to Royalty below: