Y viene el clímax del disco. Pero como si de una alarma a las 5 de la mañana se tratase,❛ BENEATH A BLACKENED SKY❜  nos despierta con una sola sacudida llena de violines y coros dramáticos en una fusión apocalíptica. Al primer minuto ya sientes que los jinetes están tocando tu puerta. Aquí tenemos todo lo sinfónico que estuvo ausente en el resto de la primera mitad del álbum. Me atrevo a decir que ésta canción es la ‘sorpresa del álbum’. ¡Y vaya sorpresa! Es el momento del disco en que me he quedado boca abierta toda la canción porque no lo esperaba. Las altas notas de violín en medio de la canción acompañando a coros gregorianos como elemento hace que la atmósfera oscura esté presente de inicio a fin. Además cabe mencionar que la letra es justamente, un final tipo apocalipsis. Si la canción hubiese tenido trompetas, estoy seguro que se me abría el piso ahí mismo.

Como fan del metal sinfónico old school que soy, pude apreciar el gran y magnífico trabajo que hay detrás de❛ FAIRY TALE OF DOOM❜   y disfrutarla muchísimo. Posee una gran riqueza de géneros para estar todos en una misma canción. Aquí no se trata de la cantidad de elementos interesantes que tiene, si no la forma en la que juegan en conjunto. La rapidez del ritmo y el uso de las rimas constantes hace que sea muy divertida (y que te imagines duendes metaleros saltando a tu alrededor). Sin duda aquí la voz de Jennifer tiene más libertad y juega con tonos graves y agudos como si estuviera jugando a saltar la cuerda. Algo que debo destacar mucho es el solo de guitarra: por Dios, ¡ése solo! Le da el toque pesado y rudo que necesitabas escuchar en el disco. Diferente a los solos de las anteriores canciones. Aquí dejamos el rock atrás y lo cambiamos por metal.

Y el GRAMMY para la mejor canción dramática del disco va para… (rodillo de tambor) :❛ MY GOD IS DEAD❜ . El uso sorpresivo (sí, porque no te lo esperas) de los guturales en el coro añaden mucha más intensidad a la canción. Tranquilamente la llamaría también como la ‘balada fuerte’. Si bien el recurso gutural es repetitivo, me hubiese gustado que sea más consistente y que hubiesen incluido algo más que sólo la repleción del mismo verso.

Al parecer la idea del disco es mantener la vibra alta y mantener cierto nivel de feeling alegre. Con❛ DEAR DEATH❜ lo corroboramos. Tenemos una canción que nos recuerda un poco (un poco) a Hysteria, pero con menos potencia. En ésta en particular sentí los coros un poco flojos aunque los elementos sinfónicos la levantan. Es una buena canción, pero en mi lista podríamos decirse que va al final.

Aquí viene otra cosa un poco “impredecible” del disco.❛ SCREAM FOR ME❜  es otra que tiene mucha diversidad un conjunto de elementos muy bien usados. Comienza con un punteo de guitarra un poco ochentero acompañando la melodía vocal en forma muy similar a las canciones anteriores de ‘estilo medieval’. Y además en los coros tendemos nuevamente el uso de guturales con pocos (pero concisos) elementos sinfónicos en los interludios. Los coros (aunque cortos) convierten la canción en un “llamado de atención por las locuras que están sucediendo en el mundo” y son a mi parecer, la mejor parte de toda la canción. Suavemente te suben y te bajan como si fuese una montaña rusa musical.

Oficialmente con❛ FREEDOM❜  tenemos la canción más pesada, más rápida, más -metal- de todo el tracklist. El beat de la batería se roba el show casi en todo momento. Los sonidos crudos de guitarra, los guturales y el estilo en que Jennifer canta, son muy distintos a todas las canciones del disco. Como canción es muy buena, pero creo que conceptualmente hablando, se sale un poco de la esencia del disco.

Llegamos al final del viaje. Como todo disco de Beyond The Black, tenían que terminar con una balada. Pero ojo, no es una balada cualquiera. Me pareció muy acertada la decisión de haber terminado el disco de forma tan sublime. Si alguno tiene duda de la fuerza y la capacidad de estremecernos que tiene la voz de Jennifer; con ésta canción tiene todo respondido. Musicalmente, el sonido de la orquesta tiene muchos picos y clímax intensos así como momentos de calma total. Beyond The Black se superó en muchos aspectos con❛ BREEZE❜ La letra es lo que yo llamo un himno a la autoreflexión. Como cuando el psicólogo te dice que repases todo lo que has hecho y siempre imaginamos (como en las películas) una canción sonando de fondo, sería en definitiva ésta. Tiene unos pequeños aires de gospel en los coros, y es definitivamente la fase tierna del disco. Hermosa y sublime en todos los sentidos. Los reto a cantarla sin llorar (yo perdí).

Sobre los bonus, debo decir que tengo una opinión muy dividida. Por ejemplo con❛ ECHO FROM THE PAST❜ , volvemos al estilo y la esencia secuencial que tiene el disco como conjunto, y además el contenido lírico oscuro va perfecto con la temática. Como el final de un desastre y el eco de lo que queda después. Y cómo a veces revivimos traumas y quedamos anclados. Es de las que más me gustó de todo el álbum, lo primero que me pregunto “¿Por qué es bonus?”. Tranquilamente pudo haber sido un single muy sólido.❛ THE PARADE❜  es la única canción en que se pueden apreciar directamente los sintetizadores, lo cual es muy interesante viniendo de lo escuchamos anteriormente. Ni muy rápida, ni muy suave. Pero de todas formas, al escucharla me recuerda un poco a ‘Dear Death’. Tienen la misma onda. Ellas dos son como las ‘tranquis’ a pesar de no ser baladas.

Algo que quisiera destacar, es el recurso de la voz potente de Jennifer en coros donde sólo exclama ‘Ohh, ohh, ohh’ que salvan muchos momentos de manera brillante. Aunque seamos serios, no existe‘ Ohh, ohh, ohh’ que arruine una canción. Es más, nunca son suficientes ni están demás. En conclusión, es un álbum muy muy satisfactorio y por sobre todo: entretenido. Lo disfruté en todos sus momentos y a diferencia de otros álbumes del género o similares, sí tiene los momentos que son muy marcados y no se salen del concepto general. ¡No puedo esperar hasta que lo escuchen también!

Here I am, finally sharing with you such a precious album that Beyond The Black is about to release for all of you. If you are waiting for Songs Of Love And Death 2.0 or Lost In Forever 2.0, it is not the case. And If you think that it is something 180 degrees to what they have previously done before, it’s not the case either. They have placed themselves in a limbo of styles where they have taken shape and have formed their own essence and musical structure. And it is very, very solid one. If I had to describe the complete album, I would definitively say that is a journey through a devastating adrenaline in which song after song, takes us between states of chaos, anguish, power, melancholy and reflection.

I did’n’t have to wait more than a minute to understand why ❛HYSTERIA❜ was chosen as the opening song of the album. In a powerful and seductive way, it introduces us to the chaotic and violent atmosphere that characterizes the rest of the album. It is a bomb contained of catchy and mesmerizing riffs, that together with the powerful voice of Jennifer and with such rich lyrical content, melt into the perfect mix to listen to. The song itself expresses a game of struggle-resistance to an inside force that drives us mad to the point of admiring its power. They play with slow moments in between the chorus, which are like a small breath before they return even faster and heavier to lead to the guitar solo that is one of the most admirable qualities of hysteria. It is definitely a song that gives a lot of energy and you end up wanting to listen to it several times (in fact, I did).

The most interesting thing is that in sequence, when jumping to ❛HEART OF THE HURRICANE❜ (which honors the album title), the hype and the vibes of the disc does not go low, in fact, it goes up. We have as main highlights, the guitars and the drums in a fantastic and explosive sonic bomb.

It’s a song that although it is less symphonic than the band’s previous singles, maintains the flow with fast and dynamic rhythms with powerful repetitive verses. It is impossible not to end up with them stuck in the head. No doubt it’s perfect to be a single. In fact, they should teach “how to make a single”; because the goal of this song is very well achieved. It has the same lyrical and musical theme during the entire song so harmoniously, that I can quiet say that it is the ideal (and sequential) pair of hysteria. If something is questionless, it is that you end up repeating “I can feel the thunder …” for the rest of the afternoon, and for the night, and for the next day… (and this way since I heard the single for the first time).

Ha! When we think we can sit down to enjoy a quiet ballad with soft melodies, the band gives us a twist ending the first minute firing a heavy chorus that turns ❛THROUGH THE MIRROR❜ into an intense desperate call to be authentic. Jennifer’s vocals are appreciated in a very different way than in the previous two songs, especially at the beginning where she shows her unique voice’s true colors. It is without a doubt, one of that type of songs that when playing live, they strip the heart out from the audience and they sing it at the top of their lungs because it is very easy to relate to the lyrics. We had heard similarities in previous albums, but none as powerful as this one.

It is when we get to hear ❛MILLION LIGHTYEARS❜ , where they give us the first taste of that medieval tune that we were beginning to miss. Here we have again a brilliant chorus that rises in a peak when we have the brief (but good) appearance of Chris’s vocals (for the first time so far in the album) mixed with Jennifer’s. This makes the chorus more complex, making them the highlight part of the song. I’m not surprised that they chose this song as the official single either. The guitar solo here is wonderful and fits with the melody so perfect that it’s very difficult to take it off your head. We could say that it is the cliché song of the album. But that does not detract from how good it is.

❛SONG FOR THE GODLESS❜ stars and the course is changed. Ladies and gentlemen, this is where one of the most epic unexpected twits of the band begins. The medieval type-of-war tunes makes you believe that you are witnessing a battle of Game of Thrones series. It’s in the chorus where they take back the style of the previous songs, turning this combination of medieval rock and melodic metal, into a pleasure for lovers of their first album tunes. With the guitar solo which precedes something more like a ‘march of honor’, it’s safe to say we have the most interesting song so far in our musical journey. Despite being a bit slow, we can’t called it a ballad, and it’s not as powerful as the first two. It stays right in the middle and it’s kind of complicated to cage it. And that to me is amazing because how different and interesting it is from the rest of the songs. I bet it will be the next single!

But that’s just a training for what we would listen to with ❛ESCAPE FROM THE EARTH❜ . Having smoothed the rhythm and the feeling a little bit with the previous song makes us be in the right spot on intentional and subtle way to enjoy what for me is one of the best pieces of the whole album. The absence of the heavy sound is very present and the continuous guitar tunes along with the amazing vocals are the just what we need to hear, turning this song into a self thoughtful journey. I call it the ‘pause song’, which gives us the feeling of being in the eye of the hurricane. Like a false state of quiet and stillness. Very atmospheric. So sublime and distressing at the same time, that when listening to it, it becomes like a perfect soundtrack. I picture it into some of those movie scenes where the main characters experience tense and intense dramatic moments.

And the climax of the album has just happened. But as if it were a 5 am alarm in the morning,❛BENEATH A BLACKENED SKY❜ awakens us with shale full of violins and dramatic choirs in an apocalyptic fusion. The first minute you feel that the seven horse – riders are knocking on your door. Here we have all symphonic elements which were absent in the rest of the first half of the album. I dare to say that this song is the ‘surprise of the record’. And what a surprise! It is the moment of the album in which I have remained bowled over the whole song because I did not expect it at all. The high notes the violins reach in the middle of the song accompanying (most likely) Gregorian choirs makes the dark atmosphere be present from beginning to end. It’s worth to mention that the lyrics are based on a final apocalypse experience. If the song would have had trumpets on it, I’m sure that the floor on my office would crack and open for me right there.

As an old school symphonic metal fan, I was able to appreciate the great and magnificent work behind ❛FAIRY TALE OF DOOM❜ , and enjoy it in all its structure. It has a great variety of genres all in the same song, which makes ir very rich. This is not about the amount of interesting elements it has, but the way they play together as one masterpiece. The speed of the rhythm and the using of constant rhymes makes it very fun (and here is where you can imagine metalhead goblins jumping and dancing around you). No doubt here Jennifer has more freedom to play with her voice she does plays with low and high pitched tones as if she were playing jump rope. Something that I must emphasize a lot is the guitar solo: for God’s sake, that solo is THE CHERRY ON TOP! It gives the heavy and metal touch that you needed to hear on the record. Here we leave the rock behind and switch to metal all in.

And the GRAMMY for the best dramatic song on the album goes to … (drum roll) :❛MY GOD IS DEAD❜ . The surprise using (yes, because you do not expect it) of the gutturals in the chorus add much more intensity and feeling to the song. I would, without a doubt, say it’s a very ‘strong ballad’. Although the guttural resource is repetitive, I would loved to hear it more on the song than just in the same verse.

Apparently the idea of the album is to keep the vibe high and maintain a certain level of cheerful and energetic feeling. With ❛DEAR DEATH❜ we corroborate it. We have a song that reminds us a bit (a bit) of ❛HYSTERIA❜ , but with less power. This one in particular I felt the chorus a little loose although the symphonic elements raise it. It’s a good song, but not on my top list.

Here comes another unpredictable thing of the album.❛SCREAM FOR ME❜ is another song that has diversity and a bunch of many very well used elements. It begins with a slightly eighties guitar score playing along with the vocal melody in a very similar way to the previous ‘medieval style’ songs. And in the chorus they tend again the using of growls with few (but concise) symphonic elements in the interludes. The chorus (although with short verses) make the song a wake-up call for all the crazy things that are happening in the world. Those lines are in my opinion, the best part of the whole song. Gently they raise you and they lower you like roller coaster.

Officially with ❛FREDOM❜ we have the heaviest, fastest, and the most-metal song of the entire tracklist. The drums’ beat steal the show almost at all times. The raw guitar sounds, the growls and the style in which Jennifer sings are very different to all the songs on the album. And as a song it is very good, but I think that conceptually speaking, it doesn’t quit fit a bit in the essence of the album.

Well, we just arrived at the end of this chaotic and thrilling journey. Like all Beyond The Black albums, they had to end with a ballad. But beware, it is not just any ballad. I strongly believe the decision finish the album in this sublime way was very wise. If anyone has doubts about the strength and ability of Jennifer’s voice to shiver us down; with this song you have everything answered. Musically, the orchestra’s own beat has many intense peaks and climaxes as well as moments of total smoothness. Beyond The Black amazed me in many aspects with ❛BREEZE❜ . The lyrics are what I call a hymn to self-reflection. Like when the psychologist tells you to review everything you’ve done and we always imagine (as in the movies) a song playing in the background. That song would definitely be this one. It has a little gospel air in the chorus, and it is definitely the tender phase of the album. Beautiful and sublime in every way. I challenge you to sing it without crying (I lost).

About the bonus tracks, I must say that I have a very divided opinion. For example with ❛ECHO FROM THE PAST❜ , we return to the style, essence, and also to the dark lyrical content is perfect with the theme. I felt like being at the end of a disaster looking at the aftermath and the echo of what’s gone. And how we sometimes relive traumas and stay anchored to them. It’s one I really liked from the 15 tracks.  The first thing I ask myself is “why is it a bonus?”. Definitely it could have been a very solid single. The Parade is the only song in which the synthesizers can be directly appreciated, which is very interesting coming from what we heard before. Neither very fast nor very smooth. But anyway, listening to it reminds me a bit of ❛DEAR DEAD❜ . They have quiet the same vibe. The two are like the ‘chill type of songs’ despite not being ballads.

In conclusion, it is a very very satisfying album and above all: entertaining. I enjoyed it in all its moments and unlike other albums of the genre or similar, it does have moments that are very unique. I can not wait until they hear it too!