Awesome!
misha2707 | 02/09/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Call me simple, but I never really got into the Death/Doom scene. The subgenre didn't really do it for me. I have, however, been listening to melodic death metal for years. While reading a review for a certain Insomnium album, I stumbled across the name of a band I'd never heard of before. I hadn't really listened to Insomnium at this point, either, but because of the melodic death thing, I gave Insomnium a listen and loved it. So, because Be'lakor was being compared to Insomnium, I just HAD to check them out. I was thrilled.
Stone's Reach is not your typical Death/Doom album. The vocals are crisper, and the musical tempo is faster, more akin to traditional melodeath rather than traditional Death/Doom.
This band manages to create a unique blend of melodic death, doom, and even hints of thrash without straying too deeply into the experimental side of things.
The typical Death/Doom atmospherics overlay a smooth, yet punishing swarm of chugging guitars and masterful, yet not overdone, drum work that exudes an air of confidence in song-writing.
Be-lakor is dark, moody, and heavy all at the same time. I was thouroughly impressed with Stone's Reach, enough so that I plan to go back and listen to their earlier albums. This SHOULD stand as one of the best metal releases of 2009, though because of the band's obscurity, sadly won't be a top nominee. It has my vote. If you are a fan of metal, do yourself a favor and pick up this album. They aren't as similar to Insomnium as some people indicate, yet are not drastically different, either. Stone's Reach gets a smooth 4.7 out of a possible 5 stars."
A great, well-produced album
cody | Athens, GA | 02/08/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like, say, Insomnium, you'll like this band. That's not to say they sound the same, but the style is similar. And I love Insomnium. I can't believe no one has reviewed this album. The vocal style is different (in a good way, IMO) and the instrumentation is of high quality. Lyrical content is good, too. I could write a bunch about what songs I like and be poetic, but the album is only $8. Especially at that price, I can't recommend this album enough if you are a fan of melodic death/doom metal."
