Before The Dawn: Rise Of The Phoenix – new album

Having been honoured as Finland's  “Musician Of The Year” for the second time in a row at the 8th annual Helsinki Metal Meeting earlier this year, BEFORE THE DAWN's Tuomas Saukkonen, along with his companions lead guitarist Juho Räihä, bassist Pyry Hanski and drummer Joonas Kauppinen, delivered yet another slab of fine Finnish melodic gloom just yesterday, April 27th, 2012, confidently titled ‘Rise Of The Phoenix’. Listen to their new song ‘Phoenix Rising’ below, download the tune free of charge here, and you’ll find BEFORE THE DAWN's new video, directed by OneManArmy Productions, ‘Pitch-Black Universe’ below the text. Buy ‘Rise Of The Phoenix’ here (Nuclear Blast Europe) or order it via iTunes:

BEFORE THE DAWN: Phoenix Rising – courtesy of Nuclear Blast Records

BEFORE THE DAWN was started in 1999 as a solo project for musician Tuomas Saukkonen (also of BLACK SUN AEON). After issuing an EP ‘Gehenna’ and a MCD ‘My Darkness’, Saukkonen enlisted Panu Willman, Mike Ojala, and Kimmo Nurmi to his cause and the band recorded 2003's ‘My Darkness’, which was followed by ‘4 : 17 AM’ in 2004, both released via Locomotive Music. BEFORE THE DAWN's lineup shifted dramatically, this time featuring Lars Eikind, Juho Räihä, and Dani Miettinen, before the band's third album was released, 2006's ‘The Ghost’. ‘Deadlight’ came next through Stay Heavy Records in 2007, with ‘Soundscape Of Silence’ following in 2008. 2010 introduced the lineup of Saukkonen (songwriting, guitar and growls), Räihä on lead guitar, Lars Eikind on vocals and bass and Atte Palokangas on drums, as Saukkonen's hard work was rewarded when ‘Decade Of Darkness’ EP won the band the first spot on the official Finnish chart. BEFORE THE DAWN's sixth album, 2010's ‘Deathstar Rising, issued through Nuclear Blast Records and described as “an exciting demonstration of what these Nordic melodeath providers have to offer”  by AllMusic's Alex Henderson, climbed to position number 8 on Finnish Albums chart:

BEFORE THE DAWN: Deathstar – courtesy of Nuclear Blast Records