DAWNRIDER was born in Lisbon, in the spring of 2004, formed originally by three Heavy Metal freaks.
Dawnrider frontman F.J. Dias and J. Barrelas teams up with H. Conim and quickly add the rhythm section made up of Samuel Rebelo on bass and Victor "Silver" on drums. All these members have contributed in the past in several underground bands from Portugal some with lesser importance, others with bigger impact.
The next year they took the underground by storm when they made their first live appearance in July 2005, to promote their debut Split EP with Maryland's War Injun out on Blood and Iron Records (also based in Lisbon).
Praises have been coming from such influent masters as John Garner (Sir Lord Baltimore), Dick Wagner (Frost, Ursa Major, Alice Cooper) and Clive Jones (Black Widow, Agony Bag).
On June 2007, right before their debut album comes out, bass player Samuel quits the band and joins in Carlos "Sven" who was previously in The No-Counts and Brainwashed by Amalia. On April 2008 right before the start of the recording of the second album, Victor leaves the band and André (Theriomorphic, ex-Shadowsphere, etc.), an experienced drummer of the Death/Thrash scene, joins the band. A new journey takes place.
Embracing a whole culture of 70s Psychedelic Hard Rock and old-school Doom Metal making it sound fresh and modern, Dawnrider is here to stay, bringing a positive message, brought by an imaginary freedom warrior riding unknown roads, battling against evil spirits and destroying oppressive human condition.
"(...) Em 2007 surgia o album de estreia dos Dawnrider "Alpha Chapter", com chancela da Raging Planet. A cena Portuguesa ganhava um valor firmado e o mundo descobria um colectivo de Heavy/Doom Metal de inegável qualidade com fama de dar concertos absolutamente memoráveis." in LOUD! MAGAZINE (Dez. 2008)
"(...) Esta é a primeira proposta nesta onda saÃda do movimento underground Português e, de uma forma muito inteligente, mistura a atitude das bandas clássicas do estilo com o balanço do Stoner Rock e uma apurada sensibilidade melódica. (...)" in LOUD! MAG. (Out. 2005)
"O disco de estreia dos Dawnrider é uma verdadeira surpresa! (...)" in ALENTEJO ILUSTRADO/Cameraman Metalico (Março 2008)
"(...) DAWNRIDER wipe the floor with all the overrated trendy heavy rock bands of this decade, and one can feel that this guys just play for music's sake (...) 'Alpha Chapter' is an excellent debut where even the production is top-notch. It's warm like a sunny summer day and really full-sounding. Highly recommended!!!" in COSMICLAVA.COM (Dez. 2008)
"(...) Provou, no entanto, que se existe um trono em Portugal para o Heavy/Doom Metal vivamente pincelado pelo psicadelismo da década de 70, então estará, certamente, ocupado pelos Dawnrider. (...)" in LOUD! MAG. (Agosto 2006)
"(...) Grandes riffs e melodias sacados à s 6 cordas, baixo com som cheio, bateria poderosa, voz arranhada bem puxada lá das entranhas. Ora mais rápido, ora mais doomy e arrastado, mas sempre bem equilibrado. É daqueles discos que nos faz abanar a cabeça de inÃcio ao fim e de vez em quando damos por nós com os “horns up†ou a sacar da nossa “air guitar†e a começar a riffar!" in FENIX WEBZINE (Janeiro 2008)
"(...) Cada vez mais rodada e confiante ao vivo, esta banda de Lisboa pode tornar-se num caso sério no estilo compreendido entre o Doom Metal, o Heavy Metal e o Stoner Rock, sem soar particularmente colada a nada em especial. Isso chama-se identidade musical e boa gestão de influências, qualidades acrescidas da excelente postura e empenho dos cinco elementos em palco. (...)" in LOUD! MAG. (Março 2007)
" (...) os Dawnrider colocam aqui Portugal no mapa do Doom Metal clássico com dois temas (“Walking Blind†e “Poison So Meanâ€) onde as referências Trouble, Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus se misturam com uma abordagem personalizada do hÃbrido Doom Metal / Heavy Rock da banda lisboeta, mistura em que se destaca a carga emocional incutida pela a voz de F.J. por entre o trabalho absolutamente retro da dupla de guitarristas.(...)" in SERPENTE.NET (Agosto 2006)
"(...) Devo destacar a voz rouca e árida de F.J. que, além de incutir personalidade, coloca o todo num patamar superior em termos de feeling. É escusado dizer que temos aqui músicos experientes, bons escritores de canções e provavelmente com fome, portanto venha daà o álbum (...)" in UNDERWORLD MAGAZINE 17 (Out. 2005)
DAWNRIDER "Two" CD w/card slipcase 10 euros + postage
Buy now the brand new DAWNRIDER album with 7 new songs and one re-recording of "Walking Blind" (originally on their split Ep with War Injun).
The new DR sound focus more towards melody, intrincate song structures and dense riffing. Some influences on their new work not found so much before, like Sleep, Death SS, late epic Bathory, Reagers-era Vitus, Sacrilege and of course, the usual Sabbath/Trouble/MD Doom inspiration.
There's also room for some experimentation like on the long epic song called "Irinia", where the band uses lusitanian folk melodies (also found on the "Maelstrom" instrumental which closes the record in best epic fashion), sing in their mother language, evoking a darker doom mood in the riffing and arrangements.
For fans of: Saint Vitus, Sleep, Electric Wizard, Reverend Bizarre, early Trouble, Sacrilege, Bathory, early Death SS, Paul Chain, Pentagram, early Christian Death.
DAWNRIDER "Alpha Chapter" CD Digipack 10 euros + postage
Buy the first DAWNRIDER album for only 10 euros plus postage (ask for quotes), 4 of the 9 songs you can hear on the myspace player.
Presented in a deluxe fullcolor tri-fold digipack, released by Raging Planet Records (check our top friends) and mastered by Portuguese sound engineer extraordinaire António Pinheiro da Silva (Banda do Casaco, Madredeus, etc.), DAWNRIDER debuts the long awaited, long delayed long player who marks a new chapter in Portuguese Metal: The first band in the country to stand up and pay tribute to the obscure 70's and 80's Heavy Rock and Doom Metal bands we all love.
DAWNRIDER / WAR INJUN - Split 7" EP (Released by Blood & Iron Records in 2005) - SOLD OUT!!
