{"id":227233,"date":"2026-01-07T21:02:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T20:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/?p=227233"},"modified":"2026-01-07T21:02:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T20:02:58","slug":"dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Dawn of a Dark Age &#8211; Ver Sacrum Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-227248\" src=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-01-350x350.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-01-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-01-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-01-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-01-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-01.jpg 1417w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 48em) 100vw, 250px\" \/>As 2025 winds to a close, the depleted promo pit growls with hunger, eager for the new year and a fresh bucket o&#8217; chum.<sup class='footnote'><a href='https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/#fn-227233-1' id='fnref-227233-1' onclick='return fdfootnote_show(227233)'>1<\/a><\/sup> As I sift through the meager mid-December hopefuls, I detect a flash of black and silver. Snatching the promo, I discover clarinet-wielding Vittorio Sabelli and his project <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/strong>, along with ninth album <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em>. Released between 2014 and 2017, the band&#8217;s first five albums examined <em>The Six Elements<\/em>. <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em> is the conclusion of a tetralogy that explores the Samnites, a Roman-conquered civilization with roots in modern-day central Italy.<sup class='footnote'><a href='https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/#fn-227233-2' id='fnref-227233-2' onclick='return fdfootnote_show(227233)'>2<\/a><\/sup> <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>Dear Hollow<\/strong><\/span> found the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-la-tavola-osca-review\/\">first part of the tetralogy<\/a> wondrous at its best, but undercut by a tedious, ill-conceived back half. Even so, I couldn&#8217;t resist the allure of clarinet metal. After nine albums and a bit of baggage, can Sabelli &amp; Co. bring a warm light to dreary days, or are we left in the dark of a false dawn?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">At its core, <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/strong> plays avant-garde black metal with folksy instrumentation, and on <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em> they set aside the scathing hostility found on earlier works to hone mood and atmosphere. Though the speed varies throughout the album, proceedings mostly stick to mid-paced tempos. Sound-wise, <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/strong> sits at a crossroads of influences, eliciting the tribal spirit of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wardruna-birna-review\/\"><strong>Wardruna<\/strong><\/a>, the wistful temperament of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/primordial-how-it-ends-review\/\"><strong>Primordial<\/strong><\/a>, and the post-black pangs of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/white-ward-false-light-review\/\"><strong>White Ward<\/strong><\/a>.<sup class='footnote'><a href='https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/#fn-227233-3' id='fnref-227233-3' onclick='return fdfootnote_show(227233)'>3<\/a><\/sup> While these comparisons help orient expectations, <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/strong>&#8217;s milieu is uniquely their own, and despite some imperfections, the band clearly demonstrates lessons learned.<\/p>\n<p><iframe class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"border: 0; width: 500px; height: 120px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=1536614977\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dawnofadarkage.bandcamp.com\/album\/ver-sacrum\">Ver Sacrum by DAWN OF A DARK AGE<\/a><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition to supplying much of the instrumentation throughout <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em>, Sabelli surrounds himself with a strong cast. Drummer Diego &#8216;Aeternus&#8217; Tasciotti returns, skillfully supporting <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/strong> with subdued cymbals and calculated double-bass rolls. In fact, Aeternus&#8217; subtle kitwork deftly boosts the drama as slower passages accelerate and guitars and bass frolic with clarinets and keys. I particularly enjoy the accordion&#8217;s role, conjuring vivid Arcadian imagery as its lilting wheeze plays counter to delicate bass grooves and acoustic strums. Most distinctive, though, are the clarinet and bass clarinet. Outside <strong>Van Halen<\/strong>&#8217;s &#8220;Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now),&#8221; I don&#8217;t recall any clarinet-centric passages in metal, and <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em> gives the ol&#8217; licorice stick headlining prominence. Mixing clarinets with metal isn&#8217;t a combination I&#8217;d ever considered, but on <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em>, <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/strong> convinces me there&#8217;s plenty of room for its warm, sulky timbre. Atop the music, new vocalist Ignazio Cuga saunters in with a deep, resonant style that ably treads ground covering croaks, growls, and throat singing.<sup class='footnote'><a href='https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/#fn-227233-4' id='fnref-227233-4' onclick='return fdfootnote_show(227233)'>4<\/a><\/sup> All told, <em>Ver Sacrum <\/em>creates an evocative atmosphere that mostly enchants with its rustic drones and occasional black metal bursts.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-227249\" src=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-02-311x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"311\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-02-311x500.jpg 311w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-02-218x350.jpg 218w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-02-768x1235.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-02-955x1536.jpg 955w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-02-1273x2048.jpg 1273w, https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-02.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 48em) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">While <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age <\/strong>sharply demonstrates invigorated songwriting and improvements on the pitfalls from prior outings, <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em> still encounters a few snags. The 40-minute album length is just right, but the tendency to linger on passages remains, drawing beguiling moments past their prime. And though the awkward transitions found on <em>La Tovola Osca<\/em> have been largely addressed, a few are present here. Aside from these, performances sizzle, the production suits the music, and the assorted instruments and pacing concoct an engaging, well-manicured experience. The only thing holding back <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em> from higher praise is the lack of standout moments. I sink into the music every time I spin it, yet once it&#8217;s over, I&#8217;m left with impressions of the overall sound, absent specific refrains to call me back. Multiple listens reinforce <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/strong>&#8217;s understated grace, but transitioning away from passages earlier would help build bigger climaxes and elevate <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em>&#8217;s immediacy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over eleven years and nine albums, <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age <\/strong>has whetted an uncanny aptitude for creating diverse textures and ambiances. Despite my gripes, <em>Ver Sacrum<\/em> hits more often than misses, and stands as a solid release in a month where good new music is in short supply. Further, this is a must-listen for anyone who wants to like black metal but generally finds it inaccessible. <strong>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/strong> takes harsher components of the genre and softens the edges, creating a concise yet engrossing experience for anyone looking to dip their toes into befolkened black waters.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Rating<\/strong>: Good!<br \/>\n<strong>DR<\/strong>: 6 | <strong>Format Reviewed<\/strong>: 320 kbps mp3<br \/>\n<strong>Label<\/strong>: <a href=\"http:\/\/mykingdommusic.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">My Kingdom Music<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Websites<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/dawnofadarkage.bandcamp.com\/album\/ver-sacrum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bandcamp<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dawnofadarkage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Releases Worldwide<\/strong>: December 12th, 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;As 2025 winds to a close, the depleted promo pit growls with hunger, eager for the new year and a fresh bucket o&#8217; chum. As I sift through the meager mid-December hopefuls, I detect a flash of black and silver. Snatching the promo, I discover clarinet-wielding Vittorio Sabelli and his project <b>Dawn of a Dark Age<\/b>, along with ninth album <i>Ver Sacrum<\/i>.&#8221; At the end of the year is the Dark Age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":227248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"","activitypub_status":"federated","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[25336,8195,18437,5409,1444,8173,26989,9988,18223,26905,8167,8352,613,19,8162,653,26988,638,11648],"class_list":["post-227233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","tag-25336","tag-8195","tag-atmoshperic-black-metal","tag-avant-garde-black-metal","tag-black-folk-metal","tag-black-metal","tag-clarinet-metal","tag-darkher","tag-dawn-of-a-dark-age","tag-dec25","tag-italian-metal","tag-my-kingdom-music","tag-primordial","tag-review","tag-reviews","tag-van-halen","tag-ver-sacrum","tag-wardruna","tag-white-ward","has-thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dawn of a Dark Age - Ver Sacrum Review | Angry Metal Guy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A review of Ver Sacrum by Dawn of a Dark Age, available worldwide December 12th, via My Kingdom Music.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dawn of a Dark Age - Ver Sacrum Review | Angry Metal Guy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A review of Ver Sacrum by Dawn of a Dark Age, available worldwide December 12th, via My Kingdom Music.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Angry Metal Guy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-07T20:02:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-07T20:02:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Dawn-of-a-Dark-Age-Ver-Sacrum-01.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1417\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1417\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Grin Reaper\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Grin Reaper\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/dawn-of-a-dark-age-ver-sacrum-review\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Grin Reaper\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.angrymetalguy.com\/#\/schema\/person\/237ffd274f584d4184d46bf4051c66d9\"},\"headline\":\"Dawn of a Dark Age &#8211; 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