Meridian Dawn - The Pagan Poetry (2021)

After their killer 2020 debut release “The Fever Syndrome”, we had our ears ready for Meridian’s Dawn latest EP “The Pagan Poetry”. Featuring 2 new tracks and three cover songs, this release keeps up the band’s momentum as one of the best up and coming Melodic Death Metal bands that plays with an old-school Nightrage/Inflames/Dark Tranquility vibe.

Opening with Björk’s cover of “Pagan Poetry”, we get a bit of a muffled track that while delivering the band’s signature intense riffs and catchy tempo changes, it also shows a different side to the original piece. While our promo sounds a bit wonky, the song rendition itself is not bad. Next up we have one of the band’s new songs “The Moonlit Path”, a song we completely love as the band takes its time in building melodic interludes before blasting full-speed with the harsh vocals and crushing lead guitars.

The album’s best track comes under the name “Goodnight, Tonite”, filled with sweeping headbanging passages and a bit of a Modern Metal edge. The soaring guitar leads are expertly crafted as they shine through the catchiness of this epic track. The cover of Katatonia’s “Dissolving Bonds” from the “The Great Cold Distance” album is quite different as we get some harmonious clean vocals alongside dreamy keyboards. There is definitely a bit of a difference from the original, giving it an extra kick here and there.

Closing with the King Diamond cover of “Sleepless Nights”, the band opts to blend some solid Heavy Metal vibes into their sound, creating a very unique and contrasting vibe. Definitely a track for the listener to discover on their own. Overall, “The Pagan Poetry” EP showcases additional facets of Meridian Dawn’s arsenal, while staying true to their highly melodic and concise sound. If you like Melodic Death Metal and aren’t afraid of some fun cover songs, this EP will certainly entertain you.

Label: Seeing Red Records

Release: April 16th, 2021

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Country: International