Musically strong album but how authentic is Beyond The Black?

Musically strong album but how authentic is Beyond The Black?

Songs of Love and Death (Limited Digipack Edition) (Audio CD)

Customer Review

I have rarely been so hard done review for a CD to give as Beyond The Black's "Songs Of Love And Death". However, this has less to do the music per se but more on the question to what extent you are dealing with a "real" band which is also behind the present here music or rather that steered with a kind of casting project by external songwriters and session musicians. When one is in fact by reading the songwriting credits clearly that almost all of the songs were written and produced by the Elephant Music composer / producer Hardy Krech and Mark Nissen. This duo is better known for "music" for Modern Talking, DJ Ötzi, to produce The Zipfelbuben or Schnappi das kleine Krokodil and is responsible for ensuring that Faun since have to deal "from the same" with not just friendly reactions of their longtime fans .. . in "Songs Of Love And Death" Moreover, Thorsten Brötzmann - producer of various casting bands like No Angels, Bro'Sis or Monrose - involved where you have come to ponder ...

From the actual, specified in the booklet, band members Erwin Schmidt (Bass), Jennifer Did (singer), Christopher Hummels (guitar), Nils Lesser (guitar), Michael Hauser (Keyboard) and Tobias of those (drums) has only Jennifer have in two contributed songs on songwriting namely in "When Angels Fall" and "Fall Into The Flames". Well, what now concerns the songwriting you should already be said that even the greatest artists / entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley have collaborated with external songwriters so I can overlook that. But what gives me to think that already is apparently not a member of the band has (apart from Jennifer have) his instrument actually recorded on the album. In each song, the musicians are given by the appropriate instruments also recorded and the aforementioned Erwin Schmidt, Christopher Hummel, Nils Lesser, Michael Hauser, and Tobias of those appear in not a single song on. Instead, you probably has a studio musician and also brought the duo Hardy Krech and Mark Nissen has recorded various instruments. With Sascha Paeth seems at least a musician on in the metal scene is no stranger, he has worked with bands like Epica, Edguy, Avantasia, Gamma Ray, Angra and after Forver. His involvement can be heard on any case out and doing the album quite well, but it does not just speak for the authenticity of Beyond The Black when "Songs Of Love And Death" was completely recorded by studio musicians. So the band has to prove the extent to which they can convey the songs live convincing first in the upcoming concerts.

This compares to with "Songs Of Love And Death" turn a musical really strong album, although not reinventing the wheel in the female fronted metal scene, but certainly can compete with similar bands such as, inter alia, Within Temptation, in direct comparison I like "songs Of Love And Death "even a lot better than the last Within Temptation album" Hydra ".
The comparison with the Dutch is probably why obvious since Jennifer have is more concerned with deeper and I would say "rauchigeren" song, like it's made on the newer Within Temptation Albums Sharon Den Adel, from musical ago recalls especially "Running To The Edge "most common being to Within Temptation.
In the great "In The Shadow" is also Edguy not too far away which is not surprising due to the involvement of Sascha Paeth.

But enough of comparisons with the rousing "In The Shadow" and the very varied theme song "Songs Of Love And Death" starts very strong, with two songs that Beyond The Black shows a knack for catchy choruses yet but have great importance to the necessary hardness place. What is done here musically is really impressive, the guitars come to wonderful effect and make for great solos and then there's a Jennifer Did makes their dark timbre for a little Gothic flair and shows that it has a very powerful voice.

The ballad "Unbroken" scores with a great chorus and a Jennifer have the shows here that she can carry a song wonderfully even in calm tones, just here it shows a lot of feeling and, with her voice of nightmares. Who at the beginning sounds "Unbroken" very dreamy with piano music, if then but from about half of the whole "band" works to increase the song to a great semi-ballad where the guitar shine with great solos, characterized that nunmal studio musician recorded the whole remains to be seen how the whole comes across live.

With "When Angels Fall" follows my personal highlight, this is probably the heaviest song on the album and has a little bit of what Epica especially the rousing chorus where Kissin 'Dynamite singer Hannes Braun contributes some Growlpassagen, reminiscent of Epica although "When Angels Fall "total accessible sounds and the necessary accessibility features that I often miss in Epica. Jennifer have here once again delivers a great performance from, it is at all impressive to what makes the just 19 years young singer on the album. Your rather deep landscaped song tells me anyway something more than that of several other singers who sing partly in exaggerated high notes ...

That Hannes Braun can also convince with "normal" vocal point to "Pearl In The World Of Dirt ', a folky ballad where there is a great duet vocals from just Hannes Braun and Jennifer have. The song also scores with long instrumental parts and great guitar solos, with 6 1/2 minutes is "Pearl In The World Of Dirt" the longest song on the album but at no time sounds boring.

But "Hallelujah" first begins with acoustic guitar and it seems that the trend of folky "Pearl In The World Of Dirt" will continue to be quickly convinced of the contrary, after about 1/2 minute it goes quite to the point and here one feels again a little reminiscent of Edguy. Unfortunately, the chorus is a bit unimaginative and altogether convinced me of the song not as much as the other structurally.

"Running To The Edge" reminds me as already mentioned very to Within Temptation, this is not an accusation but somehow I have the feeling the chorus in a slightly different form is one with the Dutch already something has a slightly bitter aftertaste.

"Numb" has with the Latin choirs turn a little something of Krypteria and is down compared to the previous two songs for me again a little more but again the song structure acts not always comprehensible.

With "Drowning In Darkness" you get towards the end of the album, but again the curve, the song begins quietly, but then gaining pace and is equipped with a great chorus.

"Afraid Of The Dark" is a melodic song but also with slight Doom comes across passages in the chorus, here it is the way Sascha Paeth itself which ensures Shout passages in the chorus. Combined with Jennifer's deep song has "Afraid Of The Dark" a bleak, very cool atmosphere. With the choral passages in the end also "Afraid Of The Dark" a little of what is Krypteria but overall to classes out better than "Numb"

"Fall Into The Flames" comes with slightly modern twist over the somewhat reminiscent of Evanescence. Once again, with a strong chorus.

The last song is "Love Me Forever" and it's very courageous that a Motörhead song covert here, I can already hear the fans scream Motörhead how it because cars can covers such a song. However, I am very impressed with this version, having Jennifer's voice fits perfectly to the atmosphere and, in contrast to the original's "Love Me Forever" established here on piano sounds what the song elicits new facets. As I said to a Motörhead song covers is very brave but in my opinion it works here wonderful.

I have not written it at the beginning that my review is rarely fallen so hard, I'm that torn between the scent of a kind retort band and the musical yet powerful album. Beyond The Black have delivered definitely great songs, although "Hallelujah", "Running To The Edge" and "Numb" drop something for me, unlike the rest of the songs is "Songs Of Love And Death", a debut album that for me has failed far more than the last Within Temptation albums. Retort tape back and forth, what matters is the music and can convince definitely, the fact that Jennifer, have participated in "When Angels Fall" and "Fall Into Flames" on songwriting still promises some for the future, just "When Angels case "is one of many highlights.

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