Fifth Dawn - The Horizon

Fifth Dawn

The Horizon
self-released; 2015

3.4 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Fifth Dawn is a band from Sydney, Australia that recently formed in November of 2014. They released their debut effort entitled The Horizon, which is impressive for a number of reasons. The first thing you should know about the band is that they are talented beyond their years. It’s hard to believe the member are teenagers with the youngest member being only fifteen. 

The five members include Samantha Faul (vocals/keys), Jamie Panucci (rhythm guitar), Mark Robertson (lead guitar), Jordan Powell (drums) and Ethan Pye (bass). I’m still having a hard time believing the set of pipes Faul has for being so young. She can belt out a tune and is an extremely dynamic singer who is likely to have success as a vocalist no matter what she does. The rest of the band is also extremely talented especially from a technical perspective. Just listen to a song like “Paranoia” to hear the wicked guitar action, hard hitting metronome like drums and balanced bass work. 

Musically, the band plays neo metal in the vein of a band like Evanescence and other similar artists. This is the type of metal that started to become very popular about fifteen years ago. It contains climatic, soaring choruses and intense heights that reach for the heavens. 

“Turbulence” is the opener, which you could imagine hearing on a contemporary, mainstream radio station. The mix of elements creates a spacious canvas for Faul to sing over during the chorus. She sings, “Here tonight. You’d come home wasted / Fazed, all lonely and desperate to know you / You, reached out and faced it / The pain, you came undone / Then the soar, the gain, all washed away.” When the chorus comes Faul crushes it. She intense but doesn’t sound like she's straining her voice too much. 

The highlight on the EP for me was “Paranoia.” There is a mysterious vibe that reminded of the band Tool which makes you think of lost languages and Persian myths. The breakdown around the two-minute mark is one of the band's most inspired moments. They create an atmospheric space for Faul to shine in. The band continues to obliterate you with intense riff on “Young Ones” and the closer “Dire Hearts.”  

Fifth Dawn is still in the embryonic stage of their development and that is noticeable on The Horizon. The band is playing a style of music that is extremely popular and has been for a while. This fact alone makes it hard for a band to stick out. I encourage the band to not deviate from their genre but to continue to try and establish a niche which helps separate them from the rest. I think it’s entirely possible for the band due to the fact that they are so young in actual age and formation. The band has some serious talent and is definitely one to keep an eye out for.

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