Dusk hail from Karachi (Pakistan), and, I must say that it’s giving me immense pleasure to review a band from my immediate neighboring country, a territory that has been completely unexplored in terms of music for me. Simultaneously, there’s also a strange anxiety of astonishment inside, because I have always known Pakistan as a country that has had no rock scene! I hope Dusk prove worthiness of their presence.

The promo cd received by me is an enhanced one, which includes band info, discography, a video clip and an interview with Babar (Dusk mainman). And it undoubted impresses, considering the effort put into overall packaging etc, knowing these are metal men of limited means. Before going any further. , let me put to your notice that Dusk is a two men project that play non-regular progressive metal. So all you strict harsh heads better avoid this release. Continuing for others, I found all instrument arrangements designed to mystify overall melody. Progression keeps an upper hand on all compositions, filled by touches of slow doom. At times it gets too hard to comprehend songs, due to fervent pace changes and non-singular rhythm. Another sector where it disappoints is its inability to keep listener enthusiasm going, especially on central sections of all songs, because they have been stretched too long. There also seems a deliberate sense of redundancy, by not bringing music to its original frame (main rhythm where it begins) just to make it look separated from bands of their genre! . On the other hand, lead parts have been played with conviction, are arty and seamlessly convincing when played back and forth near keys. Drums department hasn’t got much to talk about, because all of it is programmed, your regular progressive drumming nothing else, moreover there are no new ideas incorporated. Babar’s vocals scale highs growling its way out (when under that emotion) and dwindle to painful cyber throat when low (on background). To add, track 4 ‘The subdued light’ gets Sufi female-male intros and outros to it. Similarly, track 3 ‘jahilia calling’ cast downs an equivalent effect with stronger progression backed fully by all instruments. By and large, whole record has lots of depth, mystery, imagination and emotion taking you far into an Arabian desert feel.

My favorites in addition to the above mentioned ones are track 6 ‘As pain becomes liquid’ and track 2 ‘Hidden from senses’. You are bound to love this if you like thick melodic atmospheric and at the same time progressive doom. Otherwise don’t dare touch it! (6.5/10)