Dawn Of Ouroboros, the four-piece band from Oakland, California, is counting down the days before their second album, Bioluminescence, is released into the wild. The eight-track album promises a rollercoaster full of emotions and catchy lyrics depicting nature, which has been a staple for the band since their beginning.
This time, the album is inspired by the ocean and its flora and fauna, diving deep into the mysteries of its depths (pun absolutely intended). With the absolute vocal powerhouse that is Chelsea Murphy, supported by Tony Thomas on guitars and synths, Ian Baker on bass and piano, and Ron Bertrand on drums, the listeners are taken on a musical journey.
It all starts with the title track, ‘Bioluminescence’, and within the first few seconds this sets the boundaries sky high. The band is not scared of starting the track with heavy guitars and drums, and we can hear some pretty intense riffs even this early in the album. The second track ‘Nebulae’ takes us all the way to space, to admire the beauty and danger of such a breathtaking natural spectacle. As in the first track, we can hear Chelsea’s clear vocals blended perfectly with her screams, complimenting the aggressive melody.
‘Slipping Burgundy’ is a fair bit slower, but is still a very powerful track. We can hear some clear vocals this time round, lining up well with the sadness of the song, before going back to powerful screams and guitars. The fourth song on the album ‘Poseidon’s Hymn’ has a rather different melody to it. Depicting the story of the Greek god Poseidon and introducing us to his destiny, the band is starting to shift into mythology whilst still being loyal to the oceanic theme of the album. Containing a well executed guitar solo, the song takes the listener and puts them straight into the epicentre of everything the band has had going on thus far.
The fifth song ‘Dueling Sunsets’ features prominent drums that are full of rage and fire, which engage the listener and help them carry on through the plot of the song. We can hear some synths in the second half of the song that distinguish it from the rest of the album, and give the listener a nice change from the usual set of melodies the band employ. ‘Static Repetition’ starts quite calmly, before transitioning into a paradise of electric guitars and riffs. “Symphony begins, not orchestrated, entranced by the steady pulse of wheels on steel" is a notably memorable quote from the song, describing a morning in a big city that's full of the hectic lives of its inhabitants.
‘Fragile Tranquility’ is again little slower than the other songs, but does not miss out on anything as it is one of the heaviest songs on the album. Being shrouded in the mystery of mythological tales, the song can be interpreted as a description of the other side of the veil of life. The last song on the album happens to be one of our favourites - ‘Mournful Ambience’ is not very long and does have just a handful of lyrics, but it sounds otherworldly with its synths, clear vocals and the piano as its main instrument. The song sounds like a true departure from the world of Bioluminescence, earning its rightful place as the final goodbye.
Having quite an irregular theme, the album definitely offers a fresh perspective on the black and death metal genres. All the parts blend together in a deeply satisfying fashion, albeit sometimes almost too much to the point where the listener could easily get lost in all the different sounds that are happening at the same time. The balance of screams and clear vocals is well established throughout the album though, and we do appreciate the occasional surprise with synths or piano, and would definitely like to see the band use more in future wherever it compliments their music. It's clear that Dawn Of Ouroboros put a lot of work into their latest release, and it has certainly paid off.
Score 7/10
Bioluminescence will be released on March 7th 2025 via Prosthetic Records.
Words: Katerina Stepanikova
Photo: Rob Watkins, Watkins Media
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