Album: The Great Wall
Artist: Beyond Forgiveness
Genre: Symphonic/gothic metal
Tracks: 10
Total time: 57:03
*Originally posted at the Female-Fronted Power Facebook page.
The symphonic metal scene in the United States has been rapidly growing over the last several years, and one of the bands at the forefront of this explosion is Colorado’s Beyond Forgiveness, who has shown with their perfect marriage of dark gothic melodies and grandiose symphonic arrangements, that they can hold their own with some of their more well-known European counterparts. Bringing back a sound reminiscent of the scene’s halcyon days, Beyond Forgiveness channels the best of early Tristania and classic Nightwish, giving us an interesting take on what either of these bands might have sounded like if they had not delved into other musical styles and kept strictly to the operatic vocals and classical-infused heaviness.
In 2016, Beyond Forgiveness made their first mark on the music world with their debut EP, The Ferryman’s Shore, which garnered rave reviews around the world and won the band respect outside of the United States. Now, nearly 2 years later, the band’s much-anticipated full-length follow-up is here, ready to fulfill the promise of its predecessor, as The Great Wall raises the bar for what is to come next.
From the moment the cadenced drumming taps in on the opening track “End of Time”, Beyond Forgiveness takes you on a musical journey; the songs averaging between 5-7 minutes. The two voices of Talia Hoit and Richard Marcus are the quintessential “beauty and the beast” dueling vocals that have become a hallmark of gothic-symphonic metal, and they do it so well. There is no overkill of the growly vocals; they know exactly when and how much to use them.
Talia’s voice is so powerful, especially on the title track, “The Great Wall”, where her vocals just soar into the stratosphere. “Sanctuary” starts off slow but comes in heavy, and Talia’s voice is so emotional on this track (one of the first songs from the new album that I heard, when I was given a special “sneak preview” of the album, still in the making at the time). “Imprisoned” is another beautifully dark, heavy tune where Richard’s guttural vocals provide just enough jarring contrast to give it that gothic edge. Guitarist Greg Witwer's guitar skills really shine on the instrumental “Interlude” midway through the album.
“Moment of Truth” is another track where the interplay between Talia’s clean vocals and Richard’s guttural voice are perfectly balanced, as well as the symphonic and gothic elements of the music, both are evenly matched here. So far this is my favorite track on the album. “Never Before” would be a perfect choice for a single or music video, it has that “crossover” potential with its sing-along chorus, and barely crosses the 5-minute threshold, making it accessible to a wider audience. If you ever wondered what Within Temptation and Nightwish would have sounded like if they wrote a song together in their early days, “Never Before” is probably as close as you could come to hearing it!
Beyond Forgiveness also has beautiful slow ballads too, as can be heard on the track “Dream Until I Sleep”. Talia’s vocals on this one will put tears in your eyes as she mournfully sings, “you’ve crossed over the edge, but you’ll always be mine…the silence is noise, I must remember your voice”. I’m putting this out there right now: I want the band to play this song at my funeral!
The band wastes no time returning to heavier songs right after that, “Fight ’Til the End” is Beyond Forgiveness at their gothic-symphonic best. It’s got the spooky, chilling gothic piano, the soaring, bombastic operatic vocals, and the imposing, brutal growling male voice. If you love Morten-era Tristania, then this is your kind of song. Beyond Forgiveness gives it their all on this one, making it all the more fitting of a song title and the perfect penultimate album track.
The final track, “Every Breath”, has a whimsical, folksy sound to it. In fact, it almost sounds like the music you would hear in The Lost Woods on a Legend of Zelda game! You almost feel like you are in a forest among the wood sprites, and Talia sings the voice of their people. It’s a perfect close to an album that takes the listener on such an adventure: this is a track that calms, winds down, and leaves you a little wistful that it has all come to an end.
The Great Wall has lived up to all the potential of the first EP, and then some! Beyond Forgiveness has grown a lot since The Ferryman’s Shore, and they were already off to an excellent start then. The band’s musical direction is clear, the songs are consistently good, and they can each stand alone; however, every song works together in a bigger picture to make a cohesive whole. If you are a fan of grand, sweeping, dramatic symphonic metal and also like a touch of sinister gothic gloom, then Beyond Forgiveness fills the void left behind by their earlier predecessors who have since gone on to other sounds and styles. If you are someone who thinks Nightwish hasn’t made a good album since Oceanborn, or that Tristania hasn’t been the same since Morten left, then Beyond Forgiveness is the perfect fit for you. Even if you are not one of those kinds of fans, if you like those albums or that era of music from those bands, then you will probably like Beyond Forgiveness just the same. At any rate, they are showing that the United States is no slouch in the symphonic metal department anymore, and we have some excellent music to offer that would make our European cohorts proud.
Thanks to Henk van Nieuwenhoven at Female-Fronted Power.
