Every Record I Own - Day 294: Dawnbreed Aroma
A lot of the hardcore I found the most exciting at the end of the ‘90s was coming out of Europe. Dawnbreed’s Kiosk album had been a welcome curveball to a scene that was beginning to feel like it had fallen into a formula, and their ‘97 follow-up Aroma was an equally unique record. It had the manic energy of the Drive Like Jehu and Nation of Ulysses but it also had these chunky and dizzying breakdowns that would eventually be popularized by bands on the Hydra Head roster. And like its predecessor, there were these fleeting passages of musical tropes that fell completely outside the metal and punk world, though they felt a little less shoehorned into place this time around.
I listened to this record a lot after going on my first European tour. I remember thinking if I listened to enough German music I could absorb some of the language in the same way all these German hardcore kids absorbed English by listening to American hardcore records and watching Hollywood movies. I got about as far as translating the chorus to “Volvoteen” before giving up on the idea.
