Band:	Dialectic Soul
Album:	We Are Born From The Pain
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	May 2014

01. Sentenced To Live
02. Everyone Of Us
03. Ascension
04. We Are Born From The Pain
05. N.N.N.
06. The Road Of Life
07. Depressive Syndrome
08. The Way To Infinity

One of the ideals that is a cornerstone of progressive metal is blending. Taking known elements, mixing them together and producing something new. The Belarusian band Dialectic Soul take this to heart and create something which can only be described as unique.

What is immediately presented across the track list is melodic in its entirety, yet its entirety is composed of a deceptively wide array of components, drawing from a number of metal sources to filter into the singular sound. The song structures themselves are designed according to a tightly melodic death metal format, into which the band continue to weave a thinner thread of the atypical symphonic black metal style of composition that previously comprised much of their sound, which here becomes more obvious in any atmospheric rendering and secondary vocal arrangements offered as a backdrop.

There is an unusual mix-in of an industrialised folk aesthetic, which is as much forward thinking as outfits such as Subway To Sally, though with a much less obvious folk connection and differing stylistic basis. The minimal inclusion of folk instrumentation in tracks like "Everyone Of Us" may be used infrequently, but they do ensure a folk metal presence continues to work away beneath the sound's surface, as does the lead vocal work which wouldn't sound out of place in a pagan/folk metal context despite their mostly death growled nature. The use and further emphasis on this folk aspect would greatly enhance the originality of the listening experience, and although folk and melodic death metal certainly aren't alien to each other, the combination worked in this record demonstrates much potential for a fresh take on such a blend.

Primarily this album is characterised by a strong and progressive melodic death style of song writing and guitar delivery, as well as industrial affected keyboards. In this respect alone, We Are Born From The Pain demonstrates ingenuity and originality in a sub-genre oversaturated with a hapless abundance of generic styles and sounds. With their latest album Dialectic Soul earnestly stir the waters of melodeath.

There's an obvious veracity within the eight tracks here, which is remarkable in itself considering all the metallic blending at play. The creation of such strong melodic patterns whilst also harnessing a number of elements so ably is a formidable task which is executed to the point of meticulous decisiveness. The ambitions for elemental merging that the band has managed here is tight to a T in a concise recording that shows great promise.