Band:	Dead Beat Project
Album:	Breaking The Shell
Style:	Neoclassical
Release date:	2007
A review by:	Lucas

01. Last Faith
02. Silent Stream
03. Split In The Shell (Haunting Fluid)
04. This Feeling
05. Alive And Living
06. In Vitam Aeternam
07. Projection Of The Mind
08. The Reason Of My Soul
09. Moon Eclipse

Before I'm beginning with the actual review, there are two things you need to know. First: Dead Beat Project's music is not metal. Second: I am reviewing this album because it was released on the metal label Aesthetic Death Records. So if your musical spectrum is limited to metal only, there is not much use in reading on.

So, Dead Beat Project's début album "Breaking The Shell" is not metal. It is pretty much the exact opposite of metal: electronica. Or more specifically, a merging of ambient dance beats, industrial influences and triphop. A more knowledgeable person in these fields could probably point out more influences, but since I don't possess such knowledge I'm not going to risk it. If you're really desperate to know what this sounds like before checking out any samples, imagine the electronic parts of Nagelfar's "Srontgorrth" album less adventurous, more brooding.

With all these influences the sole member Olivier Goyet, keyboardist of the underground Funeral Doom legends Esoteric, builds a majestic yet eerie atmosphere. If you're familiar with his main bands latest release you already know this man is a magician with a keyboard. In this project he's all by himself though, and does not have any other band members to look to for inspiration.

That seems to be no problem for him though; "Breaking The Shell" shows he is perfectly able to create amazing music all by himself. With precision he builds up his songs, layer by layer, and before you know it you are trapped in a solid maelstrom of sounds. What amazes me most is how he manages to build several different moodscapes within the confines of one album, without sounding distracted or ADD. Open up to this album and flow from haunted to dreamy to oriental to anywhere you want to go.

If you're looking for some quality ambient/electronica music without any traces of metal, by all means, give this a shot. Not only does this album offer you dynamic and constantly interesting music, it also shows a whole new side to this Esoteric member. I for one was pleasantly surprised with this album, because although his role in Esoteric is of great importance regarding the atmosphere, his role is also a little in the background. Bottomline of this review? A worthy album if you're a fan of the genre, chockfull with haunting and estranging beats, from a very diverse and interesting musician and keyboardist.