Black Dawn is 4 musicians, a faithful road manager, a growing legion of fans (ranging from rowdy adolescents to toothless old men and women), a respect and appreciation for the sound of silence, and a suitcase full of aggressive and passionate hard-edged music. "Black Dawn is following in the footsteps of the few, the proud and the heavy..." (Musicians' Exchange)

ENZO: "Our music appeals to a large age group, one night we were playing a show and we had just finished a song and this deranged old man got up on stage and started dancing. He had three teeth missing and had his underwear hanging out of his pants. He liked us so much that he took his money out and starting handing it out to everyone in the band..."

MATT: "And then there was the time we played at that dive in Queens and that fat old lady with the fur coat and no teeth started bumping and grinding to the music. We kind of appeal to everyone, young and old..."

The original incarnation of Black Dawn was created in 1992 when Tom Kelly hooked up with a local Long Island bass player. Originally intending to have the band be a hobby, over the years it has evolved into a very serious affair.

TOM: "I hate to use the word 'hobby' to describe what I do with the band because that puts it in the same category as stamp collecting and building models. This is so much more than just a hobby. It's a way of life..."

"Black Dawn has been labeled 'New York's Hardest Alternative Rock Band'. But f*ck that. They're not alternative. They're metal. The way it's supposed to be..." (Backwash Zine)

Black Dawn's CD's "Absence of Time" (1999) and "Age of Reason" (2004) charted on dozens of college alternative and loud-rock radio stations throughout the Northeast and earned the band a folder full of praise.

The band strives to stay fresh and vibrant in a genre that is muddy and dark; aims to be positive amidst lyrics that are manic, frustrated and angry; breathes new life into a musical style that is often over saturated by stale, "been there, done that" local bands. Much of this originality can be attributed to principle songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Matt Kotten. Although the music he writes is heavy and angry-sounding, his lyrics are passionate and emotional. This contradiction gives the music a fresh twist and sets the band apart from other bands in the genre. In addition, Matt feels that the music benefits from the strong connection the band members have to each other.

MATT: "We really know how to work well with each other. I write the music and lyrics, but I'll also really get inspired by [drummer] Enzo - the way he plays. I totally vibe from that. And the other members will add their input in arranging once the songs are done."

"These disturbed hardcore rock dynamos bring new meaning to soul music...as in 'my soul has been possessed by music'... Their passion for these satanic symphonies has helped them emerge as one of the best bands of it's kind on Long Island and resurrected that kick-ass type of music we call unadulterated heavy metal..." (Long Island Entertainment)

PETE: "How do the fans react? Hopefully, they leave a show bloody and beaten but totally fulfilled..."

The members of Black Dawn stay honest by being true to themselves and true to the music, and after years together, they know how to make the band machine work smoothly. Besides their obvious musical roles, they also have their unspoken roles within the band: Matt is the sensitive one - he brings the aggression into the songs. Tom is the serious one -- he brings stability and helps keep the music together. Enzo is the crazy one - he adds the power behind it all. James is the cool, collected one - he brings the soul into the music.

JAMES: "The most important thing is that you never settle on just trying to please an audience by playing what you think they want to hear and see. If something is bothering you about what you're playing, then change it. If something is still bothering you after that, then don't play. Maybe complete silence is the sound you are searching for to complete that masterpiece..."

Press Release:   "The Musically obsessed (and I use th term more literally than you know) foursome is lauded as "New York's Hardest Alternative Rock Band". " - The Musicians' Exchange

"Based in New York, they are straight out of the Pantera and Slayer camp of heavy metal, with a touch of Life of Agony thrown in for variety. Its songs laced with madness violence and despair, Absence of Time is a dark aggressive CD that should appeal to most metal fans. " - Ed Johnson, The Inside Connection

"The CD is "fat" all the way around when it comes to the sound. Thick, crunchy guitars and thud-like thundering bass and drums stick out like a jagged hunk of rusted metal ready to impale all in its path. " - Long Island Entertainment

"Good angry vocals, crunchy guitars, and pounding drums. What else can you ask for from a good heavy rock band. " - Joanna D, Hotindienews

"Age Of Reason contains a blend of a Sabbath meets Pantera by way of ‘80s thrash metal, laden with moody vocals not unlike Life of Agony or Alice in Chains. " - Mike SOS, Crusher Magazine

"Black Dawn has been labeled "New York's Hardest Alternative Rock Band." But f*** that. They're not alternative. They're metal. The way it's supposed to be. " - Backwash, Issue 7