Black Sun Aeon – Darkness Walks Beside Me

Releasedate: 27-03-2009; Label: Cyclone Empire
By: Sabine van Gameren

For those of you who are known with Before The Dawn, the name Tuomas Saukkonen is not unfamiliar. The front man of Before The Dawn is releasing an album under the name of Black Sun Aeon. “Darkness Walks Beside Me” is released at 27-03-2009.

This solo project got started in 2008 when Tuomas wanted to show a darker side of him. This surely gets clear already as soon as you hold the album in your hands. The album is divided into chapters. The titles give more hint about why they were written, or what the inspiration was then just being a name. songs are written for his sorrow, his weakness, his illness, his funeral and for someone who died during the recordings of the album. Also there are quite some guest musicians on this album. Tomi Koivusaari (Amorphis), Ville Sorvali (Moonsorrow), Mynni Luukkainen (Sotajumala) and Mikko Heikkilä (Sinamore) are names that speak to a lot of metal fans.
The doom, dark, depressing music comes out strong. The fact that some big names have been working on this album makes your expectation rise sky high and Black Sun Aeon nailed it. I found it pleasant to experience the darkness overwhelming, instrumentally strong even though all the instruments have been taking care of by Tuomas himself. You can’t be a mastermind in all aspects is what I use to say and I might found the drums a little less original and a bit tame, but with the rest of it all fitting in the atmosphere it is yet completed again. A typical Before The Dawn fan will firstly raise his elbows by hearing it but accept it soon enough, to adopt the new born band in their hearts even before the album is finished.

Those people who followed the news around this band might have thought that the actual name of this release would be “The First Book of Death” which explained the chapters even more. And even though this have not become the actual name for whatever the reason might be, it indicates the intention of making more of these “books”. I can’t wait for the next one!

Tracklist: 1. Chapter 1. (A Song For The Introduction) 2. Chapter 2. (A Song For My Wrath) 3. Chapter 3. (A Song For My Demise) 4. Chapter 4. (A Song For My Sorrow) 5. Chapter 5. (A Song For My Weakness) 6. Chapter 6. (A Song For This Winter) 7. Chapter 7. (A Song For My Illness) 8. Chapter 8. (A Song For My Funeral) 9. Chapter 9. (A Song For The One Who Passed Away 4.9.2008)

Links:
Black Sun Aeon Official