Sonrise
| Sonrise | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 1995 |
| Recorded | 1995 |
| Studio | |
| Genre | |
| Length | 45:27 |
| Label | Petroleum |
| Producer |
|
| Alternative cover | |
 Cover art for the 2005 re-issue | |
Sonrise is the debut studio album from the Norwegian Christian metal band Schaliach. It was released in 1996 through Petroleum Records to a mostly positive critical reception. In particular, the guitar work from Ole Børud was praised. In 2005, Momentum Scandinavia re-issued the album with an additional track - "Purple Filter", that originally appeared on a compilation album.[1]
Style and lyrics[edit]
The style performed by Schaliach was variously described as doom metal,[2][3] death metal,[1] death-doom,[4] Gothic metal,[5] black metal,[5] melodic death metal,[6] and progressive metal.[7] The guitar playing by Ole Børud — likened to a "metal symphony" — is strongly influenced by classical music and was compared to that of Metallica as well as Dream Theater, Threshold, Shadow Gallery, and Teramaze.[2][4][6][7] The instrumental track "Coming of the Dawn" is accompanied by piano and string instruments.[2] The overall sound of the album was described as similar to Amorphis.[4][6]
The lyrics on the album are explicitly Christian, drawing heavily from the Bible and referencing Christ and the love of God for all of humanity.[2][4] "You Maintain" is written from the perspective of God pleading with an unbeliever, and "A Father's Morning" from the perspective of God speaking to a wayward Christian.[1] Though an instrumental, "In Memoriam" is dedicated to unborn children who were aborted.[1]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Matt Morrow | 90/100[1] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth |   [4] [7] |
| Rock Hard | 4/10[5] |
Sonrise was received very well by most critics. Alex Cantwell from Chronicles of Chaos described the record as "excellent doom with a distinct Norwegian flavour."[3] HM writer Matt Morrow in their review of the 2005 re-issue rated the album 90/100 and called the album a "classic". They expressed the opinion that while Sonrise "may not have been the best the genre has ever seen, but the emotion that a band with a brutally heavy sound and growled vocals could convey was quite impressive."[1] Josh Spencer from The Phantom Tollbooth rated that album four-and-a-half out of five, calling the duo "astounding!"[4] While they felt that the production value and overall sound was not at the same level as Amorphis's Tales From the Thousand Lakes, it was great enough for them.[4] Shari Lloyd, also of The Phantom Tollbooth, said that they were not disappointed, and they gave the album a four out of five.[7] Lloyd stated that though growled vocals are not usually their style, on Sonrise they did not mind them since the music was the main focus.[7] Rock Hard was far less favorable to the album, rating it 4/10.[5] They considered Schaliach boring and that the sound on the album was muffled and mashed together.[5]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Last Creed" | R. Joseph | O. Børud | 6:43 |
| 2. | "You Maintain" | O. Børud | O. Børud | 7:50 |
| 3. | "In Memoriam" | O. Børud | 2:23 | |
| 4. | "A Father's Mourning" | O. Børud | O. Børud, P. Dalbakk | 9:25 |
| 5. | "A Whisper from Heaven" | O. Børud, P. Dalbakk | 4:53 | |
| 6. | "On a Different Day" | O. Børud, P. Dalbakk | O. Børud | 5:42 |
| 7. | "Coming of the Dawn" | O. Børud | 3:08 | |
| 8. | "Sonrise" | O. Børud | O. Børud | 5:23 |
| Total length: | 45:27 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Purple Filter" (bonus track) | O. Børud | O. Børud | 4:50 |
| Total length: | 50:17 | |||
Personnel[edit]
- Peter Dalbakk - vocals, rhythm guitar on "A Whisper from Heaven" and "Coming of the Dawn"
- Ole Børud - guitar, bass, drums, additional vocals
Additional personnel[edit]
- Øyvind Å. Berg - piano, strings
- Schaliach - production
- Fred Dalbakk - co-production
- Jeff - mastering
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Morrow, Matt (n.d.). "In the Shadow of Death - A Scandinavian Extreme Music Compilation". The Whipping Post. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^ a b c d Powell, Mark Allen (2002). "Schaliach". Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 795. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.
- ^ a b Cantwell, Alex (July 7, 1999). "CoC : Extol : Interview : 7/7/1999". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g Spencer, Josh (1997). "Schaliah review by The Phantom Tollbooth". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^ a b c d e "Schaliach - Sonrise". Rock Hard (in German). No. 127. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ a b c Waters, Scott (n.d.). "No Life 'til Metal - CD Gallery - Schaliach". No Life 'til Metal. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^ a b c d e Lloyd, Shari (1997). "Schaliah review by The Phantom Tollbooth". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved 2020-04-15.