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Chicago’s Sacred Dawn Returns with Thundering New Single and Upcoming Album Release in 2023

The Chicago Heavy Metal scene welcomed Sacred Dawn in 2005. Their debut album, Gears of the Machine (A New Beginning), surfaced the following year and, led by vocalist/guitarist Lothar Keller, the band built on their solid reputation of melodic hooks, soaring vocals, and intricate guitar work, showcasing their exceptional musicianship. If the intervening years were a bit start/stop, then the brand new single Truth Be Told is a stirring lead for a new album for 2023.

Back in the day, Sacred Dawn’s innovative mix of Progressive Metal and old-school hard rock certainly turned plenty of heads. Keller’s unique blend of vocal harmonies pushed the band forward, launching numerous live appearances across the Midwest in support of international acts such as Symphony X, Cage, Firewind, Kamelot, Epica, Loudness, and Testament, to name a few.

Sacred Dawn - 2023
Sacred Dawn – 2023

The start/stop aspect of the band was due to lineup changes, so Keller joined Divinity Compromised in 2009 as their frontman/vocalist and, in 2012, co-founded Doom legend band The Skull as guitarist and co-songwriter with Chicago-based genre pioneers Eric Wagner and Ron Holzner (Trouble).

A Madness Within followed in 2011, with a new EP, Contradiction, following in 2019. The latter, fueled by the pandemic, was the inspiration for Lothar Keller and John Vitale to get together weekly to begin writing what would become their most prolific work to date.

Dismal Swamp is the resulting new album, set for release on 29 September 2023, under the direction and distribution of Lothar Keller’s record label Qumran Records. The album will be available in a 160-gram transparent swampy green vinyl, CD, and all digital platforms.

The pounding, thundering Truth Be Told is the first single out now. The second single, A Dream Within, is scheduled for release in late summer 2023, and a fully-produced music video for The Lake Of The Dismal Swamp will be released just prior to the album’s release. The album release party will take place on 14 October 2023.

Sacred Dawn are:

Lothar Keller – Vocals / Guitar
John Vitale – Guitar
Joey Vega – Bass
Mike Mousel – Drums

Hella Rock Festival

Dismal Swamp

  1. Das Chaos Beginnt
  2. Unintended Consequences
  3. Truth Be Told
  4. Blood and Treasure
  5. A Dream Within
  6. Let Chaos Reign
  7. One More Day
  8. The Lake of the Dismal Swamp

Sleeve Notes

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