Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence (Review)

This is the third album from Dawn of Ouroboros, a progressive black/death metal band from the US.

Both 2020’s The Art of Morphology and 2023’s Velvet Incandescence were solid albums from Dawn of Ouroboros, so when I heard about Bioluminescence, it became an anticipated album for 2025. Across 43 minutes Dawn of Ouroboros once again deliver an expressive and charismatic album of hybridised metal styles.

Black and death metal elements are skilfully incorporated within a progressive metal framework, allowing Dawn of Ouroboros considerable leeway in their musical and stylistic choices. From soft slinky jazz excursions to raging blackened maelstroms, and more besides, Bioluminescence expands upon the scope we’ve seen from the band’s previous work, while maintaining their core identity.

Bioluminescence is characterised by a mix of scathing aggression and rich atmosphere, and a balance between the harsh against the soft. Dawn of Ouroboros comfortably flit between these two extremes more than ever on this new record. The songs are simultaneously the band’s heaviest and their most restrained and introspective. The music is melodic and atmospheric, but doesn’t lack in power or extremity. There is beauty and ethereal grace here, but also brutality and chaotic fury. Some atypical structures and creative ideas are included in the songwriting toolkit, yet only add to the overall experience when they’re used, rather than detracting from it. The singer’s voice sounds stronger than ever. Through screams, roars, growls, and cleans she delivers an impassioned performance throughout, elevating the material with her emotive presence.

Bioluminescence sounds like Dawn of Ouroboros are close to their final form, although I don’t doubt they’ll continue to develop themselves over time. In other words, this is the best they have sounded, and Bioluminescence is their strongest and most well-rounded album to date. If you have a taste for high quality extreme metal that’s delivered with talent and character, then you will not want to miss out on this.