Review Summary: Sunrise, sunset, throes of time
The common conception of melodic death metal is that of a stagnant genre, living under its own shadow. It appears to have mostly lost the magic that popularized early 90s Swedish bands such as In Flames and At The Gates. After it became overly saturated in late 90s, melodeath largely served as an influence on more mainstream acts, a huge chunk of which could be referred to as metalcore. As bands were trying hard to modernize their sounds, the genre lost its integrity and since then never went back to its Scandinavian roots. The decay of pure melodic death metal saw very few exceptions. The best of these exceptions is the now-legendary Australian quintet Be'lakor.
Be'lakor have repeatedly proven themselves to be absolute leaders in the genre, releasing masterful works such as
Stone's Reach (2009) and the more recent
Vessels (2016). After a five years wait they are now back with yet another remarkable album, which is going to please both fans of melodeath and those who think it's got nothing to offer. The almost 11-minute opening epic "Locus" makes it clear:
Coherence is fearless. It blatantly displays its beautiful melodic death sound and does so in spectacular fashion, while exquisite progressive and ambient elements only act as seasoning. Be'lakor are masters of composition, once again able to make the whole album develop in a natural and interesting way.
Coherence shows intense emotions, yet never feels over the top. It listens to you and knows when to let you breathe, but never uses predictable means to do so. Sure enough, there's little to no space for choruses on the album, as the approach is highly technical and harmonically complex throughout.
The style of
Coherence is something we have already heard in past Be'lakor records. The elements are all there, this is not meant to be a breakthrough in sound. Still, despite it feeling familiar, the landscape of sound doesn't fail to impress. Be'lakor manages to build an incredibly immersive atmosphere that stimulates the mind through melodies like few bands do nowadays. The guitar-driven instrumental "Indelible" is a perfect example of the band's evocative power, as is the closing epic "Much More Was Lost". The Opeth-esque acoustic riffing of "Sweep of Days" tastefully brings you back to the distant Scandinavian places of
Blackwater Park and
Still Life, making a great use of classic motifs without ever losing identity. Though the vocals tend to get lost in all that's happening on the harmonic level, some of the lyrics are nothing short of poetic and deserve praise.
Coherence skillfully tells the dark stories filled with mystery, dread and grief you would expect from it.
In dappled light that time we roamed
On higher land, our senses honed
A place so cold and new we had discovered
But then we saw we weren't the first
A dreamer lay there, frozen, cursed
Much more was lost than ever was recovered
This is an exceptional record, the fifth installment in a nearly perfect 14-year discography.
Coherence clearly states Be'lakor has no intention of stepping back, once again proving themselves to be the best band the genre has to offer. Whether this is as great as their previous magnum opus
Vessels or not, only time will tell. For now we can appreciate what is without a doubt a perfectly executed album, that doesn't take its listeners for granted and manages to unfold in surprising ways. The glorious blend of technicality and catchiness is going to satisfy fans of progressive compositions as well as those who seek the more emotional side of music. Ultimately,
Coherence has it all. Let it carry you through an experience of mystical imagery and enchanting melodies, you will not be disappointed.
