Melodic Death metal is in a rut nowadays; numerous bands are playing it, and just a handful of them can be called original, quality ones, ones that bring something new to the once prominent genre filled with killer groups.
One of those bands, keeping the flame of melodeath alive is Be’lakor, made from guys hailing from the land down under (Australia) that, along with Insomnium, are the only ones who can offer music interesting enough to be labeled as worthy melodeath. With their newest album, Vessels, Be’lakor explores the circle of life, showing us that we are all children of the stars and that one day all that’s left of us will find its home, returning to the dust from which we originated.
Vessels is a colossal tale about evolution, about the wheel of time, about life, about us all. The songs flow one into another, following one common topic, thus making the album feel like one long tale spawning eons, from the grand beginning (the creation of our Solar system) to the unfortunate end of one human being, from which ashes rose back into the skies. It’s majestic, from a lyrical point of view, to follow Vessels and the songs featured on it. Every piece is a part of the chain not meant to be enjoyed on its own, and the album’s cohesion is one of the best things about it.
Musically, Be’lakor sound like a mix between old bands of 90’s and more progressive elements taken from the melodeath of early 21st century. Guitars are melodic, but they can be brutal at times, keyboards aren’t omnipresent, giving the album a vintage soundscape that feels postmodern at the same time. Striking guttural growls coat the music with ever needing dose of harshness; drums play a side role, but still, they keep the music flowing perfectly. Progressive elements are present in every song, giving them a dose of complexity unmatched by any other melodic death metal band out there.
Belákor did it again; many believed their well of creativity started to evaporate after the release of Of Breath And Bone, but the band returned stronger than ever, giving us another masterpiece of modern metal. Every song on it is unique, telling one part of a grand tale, a tale of you and me and every one of us. Vessels is an album worthy of respect; it should be checked out by anyone loving metal in general.
