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Beseech

Sunless Days

[CD]

By: Black Angel

Beseech will release their fifth album, "Sunless Days", next month. The band has always been known for their darker more Gothic influenced work but there are very few moments of it on this disc. For the most part, it's very melodic and graceful with a hint of darkness looming far off in the horizons. This can be heard in the tracks "Innerlane" and "A Bittersweet Tragedy". These songs are packed with intriguing piano and guitar melodies, reminding me of the Finnish band HIM and at times Evanescence. Hoglin's pristine voice gives both tunes a radio friendly vibe, while male vocalist, Erik Molarin contributes the darker themed vocals. No, he doesn't growl, thank God! I don't think the band could have picked better songs to start the album off.

Another impressive aspect of this disc is the music. The musicians in this band are phenomenal! This further adds power to Molarin and Hoglin's vocals and this is very evident in "Everytime I Die". The background of the song is comprised of atmospheric orchestrations, delicate guitar progressions and thundering drums. All of these things combined together make for a lovely dreamscape. I am also quite intrigued by the band's rendition of Danzig's "Devil's Plaything". The song was never that fast anyway, but Beseech has dropped the tempo a step or two resulting in a brooding lovesong. Molarin does an excellent job on vocals, his light-hearted Peter Steele vocal style blends in perfectly. Hoglin's additional vocals in the bridge and chorus also adds more depth to the track. "Lost" is Hoglin's Excalibur off of "Sunless Days". It features her best performance yet. I've always enjoyed her voice, but this track really takes the cake. Accompanied by mindnumbing piano chords, she shines brighter than the stars in the sky. Toward the end of the album, the darker themed tunes take a stronghold on the album. "Emotional Decay" and Restless Dreams" are flooded with misery, but not enough to make me wanna jump off of a bridge.

Beseech's "Sunless Days" should be celebrated as one of the most illustrious albums of the band's career. "Sunlees Days" is a well written piece of art. Years from now, music listeners will still be enchanted and mesmerized with its elegance.

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