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Be'lakor - Stone's Reach review




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Reviewer:
9.0

1215 users:
8.96
Band: Be'lakor
Album: Stone's Reach
Release date: June 2009


01. Venator
02. From Scythe To Sceptre
03. Outlive The Hand
04. Sun's Delusion
05. Held In Hollows
06. Husks
07. Aspect
08. Countless Skies

After hearing and reviewing the first offering of Melodic Death Metal from Australia's Be'lakor I found it to be a rather promising debut. The promise wasn't misplaced either as the band have backed themselves up rather nicely with this new album entitled Stone's Reach. While their previous release The Frail Tide was good, the new album is cleaner production-wise and I think a deeper piece of work as well.

Stone's Reach actually begins surprisingly softly. Ambience with soft cymbal taps and soothing guitar notes lull the listener into going along with something soft and simple. Not before too long however heavy guitars and harsh growls take over. The introduction to this first song however is perhaps an indication that while this is Melodic Death Metal, it's somehow a work of dark beauty. Stone's Reach is filled with examples of clever changes of pace, mournful solo-esque guitar work and extraordinary melodies; all of this coming from an album which is of a type of Death Metal.

It's one thing to write a good piece of music though, it can all fall apart if it isn't executed properly. Well Be'lakor has shone through in that department as well. The drumming is as technical as it needs to be and the guitar work contains the right amount of heaviness for each scenario in each song while being all the time well performed. The keyboards/ambience and piano of Steven Merry is applied better this time around. It adds that extra layer to the songs when it entwines with them. The harsh guttural growled vocals could fit in with Brutal Death Metal music but yet they don't seem out of place here either. The song (or rather opus) "Countless Skies" exemplifies all the good parts of Stone's Reach. It starts slowly with a brilliant and deep guitar riff (which later features as a kind of solo) and just builds up with ambience and technical piano work. Launching with double bass drumming and fast guitar work doesn't detract from the splendour this song seems to contain. This song would have to be my favourite on Stone's Reach which is handy as it concludes the album leaving good thoughts of the album.

Stone's Reach isn't as much a good piece of Melodic Death Metal as it is a piece of art. Despite the music feeling very much this way, the cover art, back cover and booklet imagery is all a good representation of this work. Be'lakor have created a piece of dark and delightfully melodic Death Metal that you won't want to pass up the chance to hear.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 9
Production: 9

Written by Raiden | 02.10.2009



Guest review by
Njord
Rating:
8.2
When I listened to this album for the first time my first thought was "this is clearly melodic death, but there's something about it", something that marks the line between another copy and a new way of design from the same prototype. Despite the guitars following Gothenburg death metal, one innovation of this band is the demarcation of that style because there's no chorus/verse imposed law, there's no fear of falling into doom or entering solos at low speed. It's very important to be creative inside the musical genres and this Australian group achieve it in a brilliant way.

Read more ››
published 18.09.2009 | Comments (9)


Comments page 2 / 2

Comments: 42   Visited by: 526 users
07.03.2010 - 05:21
Rating: 9
Raiden
Down Under Staff
Thanks

Yeah they could become quite a well known band here and overseas if they continue to make such good albums.
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"Scream for me Melbourne!!!!"
- Bruce Dickinson

"I don't see any god up here"
- Yuri Gagarin (while in orbit, 1961)
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26.07.2010 - 19:15
FOOCK Nam

More on doom melodic.
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06.09.2010 - 19:49
Rating: 9
Bushwookie

This band is starting to pick up popularity.

I added the drummer to facebook and I talk to him sometimes about random stuff and he says that their shows are getting bigger and bigger!
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06.09.2010 - 23:25
Wishmaster
Account deleted
I would very much compare them to Insomnium, but Insomnium is better, imo.
I really love this album. What a masterpiece! I'm looking forward to their next album.
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10.12.2010 - 00:50
Homer S.
Account deleted
At first I wasn't very much into the album, too many obvious influences in the music...gave them a chance and listened to it again...not any better...after 20+ listens...something started happening...well what do you know!? Really like it now...this is a REAL grower, but I do appreciate it more with a lot more zest.

Might I also add that the lyrics are really cool and adds to the strength of the songs.

Fav tracks: the mighty 'Countless Skies', followed by 'Sun's Delusion' and 'Venator'...
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04.02.2011 - 03:27
Vikingr

I loved this album. I would definatley recommend it for fans of ass kicking melo death metal.
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16.02.2011 - 16:20
Rating: 10
MétalNoir
Fils du Lys
Written by MétalNoir on 14.10.2009 at 21:44

Brutal Death vocals in the line of Cannibal Corpse suck, can't stand it...

Ha ha I was so stupid saying that, this album is pure art and the vocals are as soothing as deathgrowls can be.
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Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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16.02.2011 - 17:31
Rating: 9
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by MétalNoir on 16.02.2011 at 16:20

Written by MétalNoir on 14.10.2009 at 21:44

Brutal Death vocals in the line of Cannibal Corpse suck, can't stand it...

Ha ha I was so stupid saying that, this album is pure art and the vocals are as soothing as deathgrowls can be.

Glad to hear you came around. ;P This is one of my all-time favorite albums, and I think the vocals are impeccable.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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16.02.2011 - 19:04
Rating: 9
Deadmeat
Necrobutcher
Written by MétalNoir on 16.02.2011 at 16:20

Written by MétalNoir on 14.10.2009 at 21:44

Brutal Death vocals in the line of Cannibal Corpse suck, can't stand it...

Ha ha I was so stupid saying that, this album is pure art and the vocals are as soothing as deathgrowls can be.

i'd say "glad to see someone turning back and saying that he made a mistake", so few people do that! this album is great!
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Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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06.09.2011 - 20:35
Rating: 10
Powerslavex
Alexskywalker
Sounds brilliant cant wait to listen to it!!
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28.10.2011 - 20:00
Rating: 10
Shaddy

This album is a masterpiece. It has been my favorite thing to listen to for quite some time now. There isn't much i don't like about it, and whatever songs i'm not deeply in love with, i like a lot.
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November
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31.03.2017 - 15:09
Rating: 9
BlankFile

Spectacular álbum. Venetor is an amazing song.
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