Dawns Divide

Before I heard a note from Dawns Divide album I had a feeling it was going to hard rock. That album cover has such a ’70s and ’80s rock vibe to it. I was right. This band has a hard sound that goes back to bands like Black Sabbath. The band comprised of Kurt McClellan (vocals), Les Lepore (guitar), Matt Chambers (bass) and Chuck Nickerson (drums) rocks hard and will be greatly appreciated by a lot of metal purists as well as the new breed of fans.

They open with “Dirty Mind” and man I loved the Primus-esque bass line. That riff really drives the song at first. Other elements start to come into the mix. There is a classic ’80s guitar scratch and McClellan at first is pretty mellow. However his vibrato rises like Phoenix mimicking so many classic ’80s metal singers. The song goes in all sorts of directions with the chorus playing much more Sabbath like riffs. It’s a heck of a song that speeds up, slows down and embraces so many classic rock moves people love.

Up next is “To The Keep” which is a little more straightforward. It’s a rocking song with a heavy amount of distortion and another passionate performance from McClellan who has no problem leaning into an affectation that works very well for the song. Chambers is at it again with another killer bass line on “Walk Away” but I really just have to give kudos to everyone here. They just killed it and I loved the breakdown which felt like something you would hear from The Doors.

They go into overdrive with the high octane “The Devil You Know” while the intense vocals on “Kiss of Death” are so over the top but exactly what the song needed. There is also another breakdown that reminded me of The Doors on “Kiss of Death.”

Every metal band in the ’80s had a ballad. “Sly Eyes” is theirs. The band isn’t even close to being done. They start “The Grind” with a haunting but pretty a cappella. The song then goes into an epic seven-minute roller coaster ride. They close with “The Otherside” which is a strong song to end the album.

​This band really gets what metal is all about. This should be an easy decision for metal fans. Two thumbs up. - Divide & Conquer

Next up was a Chester County, PA, Dawn’s Divide. The band formed in early 2018 and consists of Kurt McClellan- Vocals, Les Lepore – Guitar, Matt Chambers – Bass and Chuck Nickerson – Drums. With their original style of music, labeled as “stoner rock” on their FB page, these four gents commanded the stage, the crowd’s attention and were an excellent warm up for 10 Years. Lead Singer Kurt McClellan would squat and rock as he got lost in their music and performance. It was a delight to see a band so into their art and performing it for the crowd. We definitley recommend getting to the venue early to see these guys of they come through your town. - Digital Noise Magazine