Beyond The Black
Break The Silence
Nuclear Blast Records
I didn’t know what to expect from Beyond The Black’s sixth album Break The Silence, but it certainly wasn’t the groove laden swing which ushered in opening track ‘Rising High’. It was an unexpected (but rather nice) surprise and when coupled with a strong melodic touch, evidences a band unafraid to take a few risks. In fact, there’s a freshness swirling around this German quartet that sets them apart from their symphonic peers. Out are the elongated epics, to be replaced by shorter, more succinct songs and that bestows upon the band a dynamism which renders them unique in their field. Beyond The Black don’t deal in procrastination and subsequently the likes of ‘Can You Hear Me’ (featuring Lovebites’ Asami) have an almost pop sensibility, an effortless crossover appeal that could quite easily score the band some chart action. However, this is first and foremost a metal album and features plenty of whiplash inducing songs (such as the breakneck ‘Hologram’), yet there’s always lither moments (tender closer ‘Weltschmerz’) for contrast and shade. Break The Silence is an album that paints its sound from a wide palette and suggests that Beyond The Black have a bright future.
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Review by Peter Dennis.