Be'lakor - Stone's Reach - guest review
Be'lakor - Stone's Reach - guest review
Tracklist
01. Venator02. From Scythe To Sceptre
03. Outlive The Hand
04. Sun's Delusion
05. Held In Hollows
06. Husks
07. Aspect
08. Countless Skies
Guest review by
Njord September 18, 2009
Turning to the instrumental analysis, it's important to start with the guitars because they are the core of Be'lakor's music. Following the old teachings of Gothenburg, the guitars are full of life, technical and extremely melodic. Ideal to revivalists of Dark Tranquillity's Damage Done and old Amorphis albums. In general the riffs aren't very heavy (the second riff of "Venator" and the middle riff of "Aspect" are good exceptions) and their best feature is the fine construction, always emphasizing the harmony between the guitars and the rest of the group. The use of acoustic guitars in some musics ("Scythe to Sceptre","Outlive the Hand") drive the melody to higher levels and transforms the album into a pleasant journey which is easy to listen because the excess is replaced by freshness. The solos are clearly more melodic than out-of-order demonstrations of velocity.
Inside the same context, the bass helps the guitars a lot, giving them the necessary support to create heaviness, although the main job is the rhythm along with the drums. Talking about this, the drums are especially good at the multi-task function: aggressive, calm and technical when necessary, still these are the least enthusiastic of all instruments of Be'lakor. On the contrary, the keyboards and piano are a great addition, they don't overrun the music entirely and help to write the melody through a feeling of innocence, almost entering into folk dominions ("Held in Hallows" is a good example).
Finally, the voice is amazingly harmonious despite the guttural screams of George Kosmas. The lyrics are easily noticeable along the music and talk about the pain and destruction of death in confrontation with the resistance and the fight for life.
About the negative aspects, it can be claimed that the band needs to work better with some song structures (mostly the entrances to the solos) as well as improve the harmony between the bass and the guitars. Also some challenge is needed at the rhythmic section. Despite all this, don't get me wrong, I consider this album a good opportunity of revivalism inside melodic death, just like I consider this a good album to please anyone who is searching for new visions inside the genre (Opeth did it during the last decade, Be'lakor might do it now).
It isn't a paradox, Stone's Reach is capable of pleasing those who want to hear both sides and that's possibly the best achievement of this album.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by Njord | September 18, 2009
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
9.0
9.0
|
Rating:
9.0 |
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. Read more ›› |
Comments
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9
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Posts: 2574
I didn't hear a lot of Dark Tranquility on this album, but I definitely heard a lot of old In Flames and also some early Opeth.
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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Posts: 40071 Written by K✞ulu on 21.09.2009 at 11:21 Mmm, I did hear a lot of old Dark Tranquillity on it, same for a lot of old In Flames, but no early Death for me (with ealry Death I mean Death as on their first three albums)
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Posts: 2574 |
Posts: 2574 Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 21.09.2009 at 11:24 It's Opeth, not Death, man  . I haven't listened to DT in a long time... Maybe you're right.
---- Savor what you feel and what you see Things that may not seem important now But may be tomorrow R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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| Posts: 40071 |
Posts: 40071 Written by K✞ulu on 21.09.2009 at 11:27 Damn, I copuld have sworn I saw Death there  That's what I get for having to wake up at 4 am aarrgghh 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Valaskjalf
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The Best Melodic Death this year , it easyly beats the latest from Insomnium with the variety and the refreshing songwriting the solos are great and the effect that they use for their distrorted parts are great and unique loved every thing about it
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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