So I'm a huge fan of Tuomas Saukkonen, the man behind Before The Dawn. I've been a fan of that band since finding their My Darkness album in a cheapo bin about five or six years ago. Over the course of five albums, I've yet to be disappointed. Just an awesome band, sort of stuck between death metal and the so-called goth-metal style (Entwine, Charon, etc.). Tuomas Saukkonen is the main songwriter, and he has since done a companion project called Dawn Of Solace which is sort of a mellower side to Before The Dawn.

Recently, though, he's created two new projects. One is Black Sun Aeon, a more traditional doom-death band where he shares vocal duties. And then there's The Final Harvest—straight up death metal. Well, it's groovy, so maybe "straight up" isn't the right term. But death metal it is, either way.

And it's brilliant. Very heavy, groovy, thrashy. Again, Tuomas wrote nearly everything, but here he only plays drums. Some of you may dig it.



And a video each from Black Sun Aeon, Before The Dawn, and Dawn Of Solace.

i never cared much for Before the Dawn, but i really like what i hear from The Final Harvest (along with the core influence), & Black Sun Aeon.

The Final Harvest disc is so good. Definitely worth seeking out. Cheapest price I found for that one and the Black Sun Aeon disc was $15 a piece through Pulverized on eBay.

Eyesore, I don't see any of the videos.

They're all there.

I see them.

Must be my computer. In fact, I realized none of the youtube video's you have put up comes out on my end. Weird. Must be some technical problem on my end. And I'm not computer savvy to figure this out.

The Final Harvest - Bloodgod is sick. Super tight.

I actually like that Before The Dawn clip.

The rest are too cookie monster for me.

Sweet!

Quote:

BLACK SUN AEON — the new "dark, death, doom" project from Tuomas Saukkonen (BEFORE THE DAWN, THE FINAL HARVEST, DAWN OF SOLACE) — entered the studio on December 6 to begin recording its second CD, "Routa" (Finnish for "ground frost"). The follow-up to "Darkness Walks Beside Me" will be a double album with a Finish-winter theme and consisting of one "fast and dark" and one "slower and brighter" disc. The drum tracks for 14 songs have been recorded so far. The band is now taking a short holiday break and will continue the recordings on January 2, 2010. You can follow the recordings of "Routa" at this location. "Darkness Walks Beside Me" was released in March via Cyclone Empire. The CD featured guest vocals by Tomi Koivusaari of AMORPHIS, Ville Sorvali of MOONSORROW, Mynni Luukkainen of SOTAJUMALA and Mikko Heikkilä of SINAMORE.

New Black Sun Aeon video.



This album is so awesome!

Awesome!

Can this thread title get any longer? Tuomas has a new band called RoutaSielu. All of these projects he does are similar in style, that gothic doom-death thing, you know. Some are heavier, faster, slower, doomier, but they all kind of circle the same core style. RoutaSielu is no different, only this time it's sung entirely in Finnish.

Kicks ass, too!

Someday I'll make someone love this guy.

Looks like Before the Dawn is changing this up:

Quote:

BEFORE THE DAWN as we know it now will see its end at 25.6.2011 in Nummirock festival, re-groups for 1 month and comes back on stages stronger than ever at Tuska Open Air afterparty 24.7.2011. 1999 formed BEFORE THE DAWN has reached a crossroad after 6th full lengths, numerous tours and gigs in over 20 countries and several label changes that lead the band under the mighty wings of Nuclear Blast in the end of 2010. Past few years have been difficult for the band in many ways and in the end there was only 2 ways to go: Bury the band or continue thru big changes in line up and eventually in the music too. With mutual decision in the band Lars Eikind (bass/clean vocals) and Atte Palokangas (drums) will no longer be members of BTD after the gig at Nummirock festival 25.6. Decision with Lars was mainly personal and with Atte purely musical. The new style will bring the band closer to melodic death metal and the gothic influences will be part of the bands history. The band leader and the sole songwriter Tuomas Saukkonen and the lead guitarist Juho Räihä have been the key members of the bands sound since the “Deadlight” album with Tuomas delivering the music and production and Juho working behind the mixing desk in the studio with recordings and also mixing the 2 latest releases. (“Decade of Darkness” and “Deathstar Rising”). Their teamwork will be a guarantee of a top quality in music and production in the future also when the band returns to the studio in winter 2011. BTD will also return the stages of europe in winter 2011 and before that the new line-up will release a digital single and music video “Phoenix Rising” from the forthcoming 7th album. In the words of the band leader Tuomas Saukkonen: “Current changes were difficult and unfortunate but still inevitable and necessary so that the band could continue and release 7th album as stronger than ever”.

Wonder if it'll be more like The Final Harvest? Either way, good decision, I think. Black Sun Aeon and RoutaSeilu were a little too similar in style to Before the Dawn, so it'll be cool to see Before the Dawn focus on the heavier stuff now.

Talking to myself here...don't mind me.

New Black Sun Aeon album is due out next month. It's called Blacklight Deliverance:



And the first teaser is online as well:



Can't wait! Sounds awesome! I love this guy.

Jerks.