Dawn Fades is a sludge/post-metal band from Los Angeles, California, creating heavy, immersive music that explores the darker corners of human existence. Formed in 2016, the band emerged not just from inspiration — but necessity.
Frontman and lead songwriter Sam Sherwood, a life-long drummer, was forced to step away from his instrument after developing chronic pain. In the wake of that loss, he taught himself guitar as a lifeline, and the first songs he wrote became the foundation of Dawn Fades. What began as a personal act of survival evolved into a sonic force — one built on emotion, atmosphere, and overwhelming heaviness.
Sherwood’s intense vocal presence anchors the band alongside Mike Wright (guitar), Nate Hertweck (guitar), and Markus Erren Pardiñas (bass). Together, they craft music that fuses post- metal’s dynamic depth with the crushing weight of sludge — drawing comparisons to Neurosis, Isis, and Cult of Luna, while forging a sound distinctly their own.
Their upcoming full-length album, III, is a bold and unflinching exploration of suicide, societal rejection, drug use, and revolution. It’s not just an evolution — it’s a confrontation.
A record that pushes deeper into the emotional and thematic extremes that Dawn Fades has come to represent.
This is music forged in pain and purpose. This is Dawn Fades.