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After hearing Dusk’s compilation CD which consists of carefully selected tracks from their birth in 1995 till the release of this CD, I was quite simply, blown away. This is without a doubt some absolutely stunning progressive doom metal. However, this can’t really be called an album because it’s more or less a compilation.
People in Pakistan are raving about bands like Noori, Fuzon, Entity Paradigm and Aaroh, but Dusk, which consists of Babar Sheikh doing the songwriting, bass guitar duties and the vocals, and Faraz Anwer contributing to the songwriting, playing the guitar and also taking care of the drum and synth duties, quite literally annihilate any Pakistani music act there is at the moment. Progressive doom metal, the style that I categorize Dusk into, isn’t a genre for the masses, and neither is the band. The musicianship on this CD is amazing. The guitars and the songwriting are truly stunning. Until Noori, Fuzon, EP and Aaroh prove that they are better musicians and songwriters than Faraz and Babar, I shall continue to hail Dusk as the best musicians/songwriters in Pakistan.
Dusk isn’t a band that’ll remind one of life’s greener pastures; they aren’t a band that’ll provide you with the finer points of life. Dusk is a band that will completely numb your senses and then take you on journey through the darker side of life. Along the way they’ll stop and show you the outside world, they’ll show you kids playing in a playground, but even before you can form half a smile on your face you’ll be taken away to a window showing you more sorrow than you can handle. The guitars on Hearts of Darkness are absolutely mind-boggling. Faraz Anwer is without a doubt the best guitarist Pakistan has ever produced. The only criticism that one can make of Faraz’s guitar contribution on this CD is that his sound seemed extremely Malmsteen influenced. However, once you DO listen to the guitar play, you won’t even contemplate complaining about it. Unbelievable shredding complementing some really emotional solos and riffs will leave you quite flabbergasted. Faraz is one guitarist who can quite simply move from the high E to the low E and back with as much ease as a knife through butter. Check out the whole track Chairscuro, if you believe I’m exaggerating. The use of the drums and synths are also extremely well done to complement the vocals and the guitars. Babar’s vocals and bass playing are phenomenal on this album as well. Especially on the best track in my opinion, Fortress of Solitude, Babar shows the listener that he possesses the ability to croon like a morbid blues vocalist and at the same time growl and whisper like a human just raped of his entire life. And the lyrics. Oh the lyrics. Poetry that would make none other than Milton, Longfellow and Wordsworth roll over and clap in their graves. No band in Pakistan can ever come close to writing what Babar writes. Poetic and Poignant, direct to the point. Can lyrics such as this one be topped? Not by any Pakistani act I know. Babar’s exemplary use of the English language and his unfaltering grasp of it make the transition of his dark, gloomy and surreal thoughts to paper quite stunning. The last three tracks however, are from Babar’s side project called Aufgang, that contains Babar on vocals and bass, Bargees Buns on the saxophone and Rizwan on drums. Bargees delivers a very professional performance on the saxophone on the track Beautiful Unfortunate to make it a peach of a track. After listening to people babble about how great Noori, Fuzon and EP are, listening to a Pakistani band like Dusk is far more than a welcome relief. Faraz is a far better guitarist than most and Babar a far better songwriter than all the members of all bands combined. But thankfully, although Faraz and Babar’s opinions might differentiate on this matter, Dusk are still underneath the radar. Exposure to the mainstream might ruin the outlook of this band, and that shall indefinitely affect the bands songwriting.
This is the only Pakistani metal act that can challenge the dominance of the genre by Europe and USA. Progressive doom metal is dominated by the likes of Opeth and the hauntingly beautiful Agalloch, and I believe that in a few years time, Dusk might not only be able to challenge their dominance, but could quite simply, overthrow them from their thrones. Unfortunately for most metalheads here in Pakistan, Dusk shall probably never be able to play live, mainly due to the lack of exceptional musicians in Pakistan. That truly is a shame. This isn’t music for the masses, as I stated quite clearly before, but for any metalhead who understands the true beauty of music, this is something you should sacrifice your leg for.