After more than two decades, AbysmalDawn remain one of death metal’s most consistently crushing creative forces. While the Los Angeles natives are working on their upcoming fifth album, next month, the band are hitting the road with Obscura, Thulcandra and Orion Rise on their first-ever tour of Mexico. During this 8-day trek, Abysmal Dawn will perform songs from across their critically-acclaimed discography, including their latest single “Cradle of Affliction”.
As Abysmal Dawn gears up for next month’s Mexico tour, today, drummer James Coppolino is releasing an official playthrough video of “Cradle of Affliction”. With its bone-crushing groove, blinding fills and steady pounding of double bass, the band’s latest single proves why they have such unholy staying power.
Watch Abysmal Dawn’s official drum playthrough for “Cradle of Affliction”:
Abysmal Dawn Beyond the Seventh Sun Mexico 2026 Tour with Obscura, Thulcandra and Orion Rise
October 8 – Morelia @ Salon Arena [TICKETS] October 9 – Leon @ Rockstar Burger [TICKETS] October 10 – Guadalajara @ C3 Stage [TICKETS] October 11 – San Luis Potosi @ Bunker 57 [TICKETS] October 15 – Chihuahua @ Pistoleros Bar [TICKETS] October 16 – Mexico City @ Foro Veintiocho [TICKETS] October 17 – Monterrey @ Terraza Sultan [TICKETS] October 18 – Durango @ Levenda De Analco [TICKETS]
Abysmal Dawn’s latest albumPhylogenesisand their most-recent EPNightmare Frontierare both now available through Season of Mist.
During the height of the worldwide apocalyptic dystopia of 2020, Abysmal Dawn persevered and released one of the greatest albums of their career, Phylogenesis.
In 2022, the technical death metal icons picked up where they left off and unleashed the harrowing four-song Nightmare Frontier. The EP includes an original track, a newly re-recorded version of the 2006 demo “Blacken the Sky”, and two epic cover songs that showcase the band’s musical versatility and limitless talent.
As the completion of their fifth full-length draws near, in October 2026, Abysmal Dawn are embarking on their first tour of Mexico. During this 8-date run with Obscura, Thulcandra and Orion Rise, the band will perform their latest single, “Cradle of Affliction”, live in all its accursed glory.
Lineup Charles Elliott: Guitars, Vocals Eliseo Garcia: Bass, Additional vocals James Coppolino: Drums Vito Petroni: Guitars
Production credits for “Cradle of Affliction” Guitars, bass and vocals recorded at Tastemaker Audio by Charles Elliott (tastemakeraudio.us). Drums recorded at Trench Studios by John Haddad. Produced by Charles Elliott and Abysmal Dawn. Mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott
ABYSMAL DAWN will make their return to European stages this September, joining co-headliners Allegaeon and Gorod across 20 dates on the Tech It Easy! UK/European Tour. The run covers France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Italy, and marks the Los Angeles quartet’s most extensive European appearance since their 2022 support run with Atheist and Suicidal Angels.
Onstage, Abysmal Dawn are a band that earns its reputation the hard way—through sheer precision and relentless forward momentum. Founding member Charles Elliott anchors the band both as vocalist and guitarist, a combination that demands full commitment every night and consistently delivers it. Their sets draw from across two decades of material, moving between the melodic aggression of Phylogenesis, the muscular density of Obsolescence, and the driving brutality of earlier records, building a live experience that rewards long-time fans and converts new ones in equal measure.
The tour comes at a charged moment for the band. Abysmal Dawn entered the studio in autumn 2025 to begin recording their sixth full-length, following the October release of new single “Cradle of Affliction”—their first new music since the 2022 EP Nightmare Frontier. The forthcoming album remains their primary focus heading into the second half of 2026, and this European run will offer the first opportunity for many fans on this side of the Atlantic to hear where the band is headed. They are joined by Colorado’s Allegaeon, touring in support of their 2025 full-length The Ossuary Lens, and Bordeaux’s Gorod, one of France’s most accomplished technical death metal acts.
Tickets go on general sale Friday 3 April at 10am BST / 11am CEST.
TECH IT EASY! 2026 TOUR DATES:
4 September: Grenoble, FR @ L’Ampérage 5 September: Nantes, FR @ Le Ferrailleur 6 September: Paris, FR @ Petit Bain 8 September: Southampton, UK @ The 1865 9 September: Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms 10 September: Manchester, UK @ Rebellion 11 September: Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy3 12 September: Leeds, UK @ Boom 13 September: London, UK @ Underworld 15 September: Lille, FR @ Black Lab 16 September: Hannover, DE @ Lux 17 September: Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje 18 September: Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat 20 September: Warsaw, PL @ VooDoo 21 September: Krakow, PL @ Zaścianek 22 September: Prague, CZ @ Futurum 23 September: Munich, DE @ Backstage Club 24 September: Aarau, CH @ KIFF 25 September: Cologne, DE @ Euroblast Festival
American death metal masters Abysmal Dawn are back! After a six-year gap, the Los Angeles-based outfit and Season of Mist hereby present Phylogenesis. Not that Abysmal Dawn have laid low since the release of 2014’s lauded Obsolescence full-length. Far from it. They toured North America four times and hit Europe and South America for the first time. Meanwhile, founding member Charles Elliott opened his studio, Tastemaker Audio, to accelerate Abysmal Dawn’s own recording needs, as well to act as a bridge to other bands in need of a knowledgeable and relatable audio technician. But the road to Phylogenesis wasn’t an easy one. Besides work-horsing it throughout the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Brazil, Chile, and beyond in support of Obsolescence, Elliott and crew managed through some of the lowest points in Abysmal Dawn’s career. Internal strife, administrative burdens, musical differences, and motivation all had their various ways with the Californians. Yet, from the darkest depths, they prevailed, heralding a new chapter in the group’s storied history. Indeed, Phylogenesis is Abysmal Dawn’s rebirth!
“There was a brief period after doing two months of touring back-to-back in the U.S. and Europe in 2015 that I almost felt like calling it quits,” Abysmal Dawn’s Charles Elliott says. “It was our first time in Europe and I just had a hard time enjoying it. The band had grown, and I was a bit tired of having to handle most of the managerial aspects of what we do. The joy had been ripped from things and people weren’t getting along, and some people acted like they didn’t want to be there. But we went our separate ways with some of the members and all of a sudden, the band was fun again. They went on to other things and we’re probably all happier in the end. Sometimes, I feel it’s a miracle this album or band even still exists. I’ve avoided swearing on our records in the past, but the album’s opening line is actually, ‘Fuck you all!’ Maybe it’s primitive by our past lyrical standards but it’s genuine and it’s the most heartfelt, ‘Fuck you, we’re still here’ I could put on a record. I’m glad we stuck it out because I think this is our proudest moment so far.”
To say Phylogenesis is an extension or continuation of Obsolescence isn’t exactly as straightforward as it should be. On one hand, all the Abysmal Dawn trademarks—technicality, brutality, and melody—remain ingrained in the songwriting fabric. On the other, the band’s fifth full-length is more cohesive, rhythmically sophisticated, and far more adventurous. Elliott calls it “a major evolution.” Certainly, the six years of constant refinement, edge smoothing, and transition adjustments have paid off. What started as jam sessions between Elliott, bassist Eliseo Garcia, and drummer James Coppolino in 2016 eventually turned into one-offs. That there was no time limit to put Phylogenesis together ended up both a blessing and a curse. Total creative freedom at very little expense is a dream scenario, something a band of Abysmal Dawn’s stature took advantage of for their magnum opus. But without a ticking clock and dollars burning, the pressure to focus was far less severe, resulting in delays and feature creep.
“It was basically James, Eliseo and me meeting up at my place, jamming on ideas, seeing what worked and tweaking them from there,” says Elliott. “With the exception of ‘Hedonistic,’ James wrote all his drum parts. Obsolescence was demoed with me programming all the drums since our drummer at the time had moved up north. It was what it was, but it was pretty frustrating at the time. Having someone to bounce ideas off of in real-time, helped in maintaining the joy and momentum of making this album. Once it was time to record bass and leads, Eliseo and Vito [Petroni; guitars] would trickle in when they had ideas. We had no real deadline and seemingly infinite time to do things. Admittedly, I think it was hard for me to focus on the lyrics, not only because of things in my personal life but because I was focused on getting the guys in to complete their parts so I could focus.”
Finish Phylogenesis they did, in fact. Under significant duress, Abysmal Dawn had overcome their roadblocks. The results of the group’s undulating professional and personal schedules aren’t to be trifled with, however. Opening track “Mundane Existence” is a firestorm of labyrinthine yet savage riffs, enraged vocals, and machine-gun drumming. It’s death metal personified, enlightened, and perfected. Elsewhere, tracks such as “The Path of the Totalitarian,” “A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity,” and “Soul-Sick Nation” (feat. Fredrik Folkare of Unleashed, Firespawn, et al.) pose real threats to the status quo. In all three, Elliott’s passion for and dominance of death metal’s tenets are tangible. But there’s more to Abysmal Dawn on Phylogenesis than customary ritual. From the ruthless groove of “Hedonistic” and the staccato stabs of “Coerced Evolution” to the late album gem “The Lament Configuration” and the blistering cover of Death classic “Flattening of Emotion,” the songs are designed to slay in ways we’re just beginning to understand.
“We’re a pretty brutal death metal band, but what I feel like sets us apart is that no matter what we do there’s always some underlying sense of melody and hooks,” Elliott says. “There are lots of bands that are ridiculously brutal. There are lots of bands that are over-the-top technically or are blatantly melodic. We combine all that but we try to write something that sticks with you over time; that you’ll keep coming back to, and that works well in the live environment. We love all types of music, whether it’s fusion or industrial music, and it shines through here and there. But in the end, though, we’re a pure death metal band at heart trying to retain that old-school feel with an updated take for a new generation.”
Conceptually, Phylogenesis deals with the breakdown of social constructs humans have built over time. The album title is defined by the evolution of (or diversification) a species. So, Phylogenesis is an ironic take on Elliott’s observations, particularly how social media has accelerated and exacerbated the de-evolution of humanity’s interactive abilities. The cover art, again by Swedish artist Pär Olofsson, isn’t directly correlated to the lyrical narrative, but it does continue where Obsolescence left off. The Olofsson cover art has envisioned what it’s like on the inside of the Obsolescence tower, and that it’s humans that are being fed back to humans. The cover art continuity is akin to Richard Fleischer’s famed Soylent Green film but ripped through Elliott’s demented death metal lens.
“I think the lyrics deal a lot with things we encounter in our modern society and the effect it has on the individual,” says Elliott. “The dehumanization effect and divisiveness caused by bickering on social media (‘The Path of the Totalitarian’), the decay of legitimate journalism (‘True to the Blind’), struggling to find purpose in the pursuit of happiness (‘Hedonistic’), wishing something was greater than yourself (‘Mundane Existence’), the mental illness epidemic (‘Soul-Sick Nation’), embracing pain over numbness to feel alive (‘The Lament Configuration’), having our consciousnesses uploaded to a grid in order to make life sustainable on Earth (‘Coerced Evolution’), and the common theme throughout the band of wishing life on Earth would just start over (‘A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity’). I had started off wanting it to be a concept record but later scrapped that idea because I didn’t like how it was going. In the end though, it just naturally all tied together in some way. Even the Death cover seemed to fit lyrically in hindsight. ‘Coerced Evolution’ is really the only song that in the sci-fi vein this time around. As for Pär, yes, he did the cover art once again. We love working with him and we’ve been creating great covers with him since 2006.”
Abysmal Dawn recorded Phylogenesis over a multi-year timeframe. In fact, Coppolino’s drums were tracked as far back as 2017 with long-time collaborator John Haddad at Trench Studios. The rhythm guitars and vocals, as produced by Mike Bear and Elliott, were also done at Tastemaker Audio the same year. So, some of Phylogenesis goes back, but the parts are no less lethal. Slowly but surely, the group’s newest and greatest materialized, with Elliott finishing the lead guitars, bass, additional vocals, reamping, and mixing sessions in 2019, again at Tastemaker Audio. Abysmal Dawn then packaged up their fifth for mastering ace Tony Lindgren (Rotting Christ) to handle at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Contemporary yet absolutely remorseless, Abysmal Dawn’s Phylogenesis is death metal for a new age.
“We took our time and went to few studios this time around, so it’s a bit of a laundry list,” Elliott says. “John Haddad engineered the drums at Trench Studios. John has been involved with all our records in some form since From Ashes. Mike Bear helped track and produce the vast majority of my vocals and rhythm guitars out of my studio. Mike produced both Leveling the Plane of Existence (2010) and Obsolescence. I tracked and produced all the leads, bass parts, and other odds and ends and mixed the album as well. Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios mastered the record in the end.”
As for Abysmal Dawn’s next steps, the quartet await the release of Phylogenesis. With past support coming from the Village Voice, Decibel, PopMatters, and Pandora, as well as the group’s rabidly-devoted fanbase, the future of death metal is in good hands.
Line-up: Charles Elliott — Guitar, Vocals Eliseo Garcia — Bass, Additional Vocals James Coppolino — Drums Vito Petroni — Guitars
While they hail from the City of Angels, Abysmal Dawn remain one of death metal’s most consistently crushing creative forces. Two decades removed from their very first tour, next month, the L.A. mainstays are hitting the road hard once again with the mighty Krisiun. Only this time, they’ll be raising hell with their first new song since 2022.
Today, Abysmal Dawn are releasing “Cradle of Affliction”. Even though its various mutations have been banging around in their heads since Phylogenesis, the band’s new single proves timely. “‘Cradle of Affliction’ nods to the sound of our first record and our earlier melodic death metal influences like At The Gates”, explains vocalist, guitarist and founding member Charles Elliott. “This one is for Tomas (R.I.P.) and all the fans who have continued to support Abysmal Dawn throughout our journey for more than two decades now”.
“The music is written played, recorded and mixed by humans”, Elliott continues. “The artwork was created by a human. The music video was shot and edited by a human. We hope you come out to a show and support four of your favorite semi-humans playing death metal while you still can. Cheers!”
“Cradle of Affliction” bears the bloodied markings of Abysmal Dawn. The production is crisp but thick with heavy double bass and bone-crunching riffs. Back-to-back guitar solos twist like two spires up the same darkened tower, circling back to a killer chorus that begs to be screamed with horns raised to the rafters. “Cursed in name / Blessed in death“. Indeed, few bands have ever possessed such unholy staying power.
Abysmal Dawn’s latest album Phylogenesis and their most-recent EP Nightmare Frontier are both now available through Season of Mist.
Conquerors of Armageddon 25th Anniversary Tour November 1 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom November 2 – Bensalem, PA @ Broken Goblet November 3 – Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones November 4 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Altar) November 5 – New Orleans, LA @ Southport Hall November 7 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live November 8 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar November 9 – Dallas, TX @ Trees November 10 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street Collective November 11 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad November 12 – Mesa, AZ @ The Rosetta Room November 13 – San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick November 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 November 15 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge November 16 – Portland, OR @ Nova PDX November 17 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon November 19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall November 20 – Denver, CO @ HQ November 21 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge November 22 – Iowa City, IA @ Wildwood November 23 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s November 24 – Detroit, MI @ The Sanctuary November 25 – Lakewood, OH @ The Foundry November 26 – Syracuse, NY @ The Lost Horizon November 27 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison November 28 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques November 29 – Quebec City, QC @ Source de la Martinière November 30 – Boston, MA @ Middle-East Upstairs December 1 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
During the height of the worldwide apocalyptic dystopia of 2020, Abysmal Dawn persevered and released one of the greatest albums of their career, Phylogenesis.
In 2022, the technical death metal icons picked up where they left off and unleashed the harrowing four-song Nightmare Frontier. The EP includes an original track, a newly re-recorded version of the 2006 demo “Blacken the Sky”, and two epic cover songs that showcase the band’s musical versatility and limitless talent.
Now, as the completion of their fifth full-length draws near, Abysmal Dawn are celebrating 25 years of conquering Armageddon with their very first tour mates Krisiun. To commemorate this month-long run across the U.S., the band will debut their new single “Cradle of Affliction” live in all its accursed glory.
Lineup for “Cradle of Affliction” Charles Elliott: Guitars, Vocals Eliseo Garcia: Bass, Additional vocals James Coppolino: Drums Vito Petroni: Guitars
Production credits for “Cradle of Affliction” Guitars, bass and vocals recorded at Tastemaker Audio by Charles Elliott (tastemakeraudio.us). Drums recorded at Trench Studios by John Haddad. Produced by Charles Elliott and Abysmal Dawn. Mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott
In 2006, fresh off bursting onto the scene with their dark and fiery debut, Abysmal Dawn hit the road for the very first time alongside Krisiun. Now, almost two decades later, the LA band are reuniting with the Brazilian death metal devourers in honor of Conquerors of Armageddon.
“Our first time touring together back in 2006 was actually the first tour we ever did and we’ve been friends ever since”, says Abysmal Dawn’s vocalist and guitarist Charles Elliott. “It’s a privilege to be blasting together again, this time in support of the anniversary of one of the most extreme metal albums ever made”.
For this run across North America, Abysmal Dawn plan on dusting off some of their older songs, as well as teasing their upcoming sixth album. They will be joined by New York OG’s Pyrexia and Fargo’s Gorgatron.
Conquerors of Armageddon 25th Anniversary Tour November 1 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom November 2 – Bensalem, PA @ Broken Goblet November 3 – Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones November 4 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Altar) November 5 – New Orleans, LA @ Southport Hall November 7 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live November 8 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar November 9 – Dallas, TX @ Trees November 10 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street Collective November 11 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad November 12 – Mesa, AZ @ The Rosetta Room November 13 – San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick November 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 November 15 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge November 16 – Portland, OR @ Nova PDX November 17 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon November 19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall November 20 – Denver, CO @ HQ November 21 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge November 22 – Iowa City, IA @ Wildwood November 23 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s November 24 – Detroit, MI @ The Sanctuary November 25 – Lakewood, OH @ The Foundry November 26 – Syracuse, NY @ The Lost Horizon November 27 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison November 28 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques November 29 – Quebec City, QC @ Source de la Martinière November 30 – Boston, MA @ Middle-East Upstairs December 1 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
Abysmal Dawn’s latest album Phylogenesis and their most-recent EP Nightmare Frontier are both now available through Season of Mist.
During the height of the worldwide apocalyptic dystopia of 2020, Abysmal Dawn persevered and released one of the greatest albums of their career, ‘Phylogenesis.’
The technical death metal icons picked up where they left off and unleashed a solid four-song EP in 2022. The sampler includes an original track, a newly re-recorded version of the 2006 demo “Blacken the Sky”, and two epic cover songs that showcase the band’s musical versatility and limitless talent.Lineup: Charles Elliott: Guitars, Vocals Eliseo Garcia: Bass, Additional vocals James Coppolino: Drums Vito Petroni: Guitars
Now, with last year’s killer EP under their belt, the band are taking their techy, melodic death metal back out on the road.
The Carnival of Death tour is traveling across the United States all September before heading north to terrorize major cities in Canada. They’ll be supporting their old pals Cryptopsy, along with a murder’s row of various other death metal bands: Reaping Asmodeia, Warforged, Hate, Visceral Disgorge.
“We’re excited to be sharing the stage again with our friends in Cryptopsy and just a killer lineup of bands overall”, says frontman Charles Elliott. “The last time we toured with Cryptopsy was with Obituary and Cannibal Corpse in 2016, so we’re long overdue! We’ll be busting out some songs we haven’t played in a while, as well as some songs we’ve never performed live. Can’t wait to see everyone again soon!”
Tour dates 09/07 Manchester, NH @ Jewel Nightclub* 09/08 Brooklyn, NY @ Meadows [TICKETS]* 09/09 Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz [TICKETS]* 09/10 Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground [TICKETS]* 09/11 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell) [TICKETS]* 09/12 Tampa, FL @ The Brass Mug* 09/14 Houston, TX @ Scout Bar [TICKETS]* 09/15 Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live [TICKETS]* 09/16 Dallas, TX @ TBA 09/17 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater [TICKETS]* 09/18 Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar [TICKETS]* 09/19 Mesa, AZ @ Nile Underground [TICKETS]* 09/20 San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick [TICKETS]# 09/21 Los Angeles, CA @ 1720 [TICKETS]# 09/22 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge [TICKETS]# 09/23 Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post [TICKETS]# 09/24 Portland, OR @ Dante’s [TICKETS]# 09/25 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon [TICKETS]# 09/26 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater [TICKETS]# 09/27 Boise, ID @ The Shredder [TICKETS]# 09/29 Denver, CO @ HQ [TICKETS]# 09/30 Omaha, NE @ Cosmic Eye Brewing [TICKETS]# 10/01 Joliet, IL @ The Forge [TICKETS]# 10/02 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme [TICKETS]# 10/03 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace [TICKETS]# 10/04 Kingston, ON @ Overtime Sports Bar# 10/05 Quebec City, QC @ La Source de la Martinière [TICKETS]# 10/06 Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques [TICKETS]#
*w/ Hate #w/ Visceral Disgorge All dates w/ Reaping Asmodeia & Warforged
Lineup: Charles Elliott: guitars, vocals Eliseo Garcia: bass, additional vocals James Coppolino: drums Vito Petroni: guitars
Vocalist Charles Elliott of Abysmal Dawn will join System Of A Down lead vocalist Serj Tankian for a very special orchestral performance in Elliott’s hometown of Los Angeles, CA on April 29! Tickets for the “Invocations” orchestral suite are now on sale HERE.
Elliott joins a diverse and prestigious group of musicians who were hand-selected by Tankian for this one-time event! Other collaborators include renowned tenor Brian Thorsett, world music singer Azam Ali, and sound healer Francesca Genco. Backing them will be the CSUN Symphony Orchestra, ethnic instrumentalists (including duduk master Jivan Gasparyan Jr.) and a full choir.
Regarding this special performance, Elliott says, “It’s an honor to be performing as vocalist with such a legendary and diverse musician like Serj. I am truly humbled to have been asked to be a part of such a cool and unique project. I’m ready to provide something ugly to some extremely beautiful and captivating music. Now I hope to see some headbangers there, wearing their best penguin suits and monocles!”
Abysmal Dawn is supporting the release of its 2022 EP, ‘Nightmare Frontier,’ which is out now!
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
