There are any number of hard-hitting rockers here: Laura, Power, Dust, Preacher Man and Reanimator. The centerpiece and crescendo is the towering title track, though in truth the live version on Earth Inferno is probably better. There are also a couple of darkly wistful slower tracks like Vet for the Insane and Secrets - both are strong. Given the quality of all of the tracks, this is a must-have for Goths and those who like their rock with an edge of mystery.

Still this is clearly not Nephilim at their most powerful. At this time, the band and Carl had not fully developed the musical depth, emotional range and sense of grandeur that would become their calling card. I feel very sad for the reviewer who cast them off as a Sisters clone and never looked beyond this album; that review will make him look like a fool to all who know the genre well and understand what FotN would become.


Why did they change the album?   December 30, 2004
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Warning, this CD version of Dawnrazor omits "Blue Water," which was on the original album. The Neph don't seem to have much respect for that song, but to me it was one of the highlights of their body of work. This CD includes some early cuts that were not on the original album, in my view for good reason. They sound like the less inspired early stuff you can hear compiled on the Laura CD. Still, Dawnrazor comes through as the work where Fields of the Nephilim left the Sisters of Mercy in their self-affected dust. This is not only original stuff but also powerful, something the Sisters rarely achieved. Dawnrazor fits into a four-disc Nephilim rotation (with The Nephilim, Elizium and Earth Inferno) that will reward the listener for many years.


Gothic Western   November 21, 2001
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Imagine that the Clint Eastwood character from the Segio Leone westerns was even darker and more sombre. That would be one of the characters in this story of vengence and triumph of one form of evil over another. The music manages to be brooding while maintaining a distinctly western rhythm. The lyrics range from effective to poetic.

The voice of the lead singer is reminiscent of Andy Eldrich and the entire CD can be compared favorably with the Sisters of Mercy's Floodland. From the opening song, a sample from the movie Once Upon A Time In the West, to the final revenge in the last song, the entire CD is haunting and moving.

Don't take this to mean that it's a funeral dirge, it's a well balanced collection of songs that seem to want to become frenzied, but are perfectly reigned in by the band. It's a supernatural spaghetti western put to music. If you like melodies, good guitar work, and haunting lyrics done in a near-Gothic vein, this is worth a listen.


Great nephilim   July 16, 2003
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Fields of Nephilim's first CD is as original as anything ever heard before, and 16 years later it sounds as brilliant as ever.The Morricone touches are a real treat and their unique sound may be compared with others but can never be a good as them. I originally bought the Revelations compilation as my first Nephilim CD and immediatally had to go back and buy them all after hearing the title track live on that CD. This band has had a huge influence on me,I even bought the controversial "Fallen" CD as well as the later Nefilim "Zoon", Rubicon "What starts ends" and Last Rites "Guided by Light" disks all by ex-Fields of Nephilim members.This is a highly influential band. Discover them and enjoy.