Info
- Band(s): Beyond the Grave
- Label(s): Hidden Marly Production
- Release Format(s): CD
- Release Year: 2023
- Review Date: May 2, 2025
- Author(s): Appeleon
‘Let There Be Destruction’ is Beyond The Grave’s tenth full-length and with it the Russian band shows it’s maturity. Their primary focus revolves around high to mid-paced Black Metal enhanced with striking melodic hooks.
Fundamentally, this is a very solid effort. The only downside being the production, which seems to dislodge the guitars from the drums. It’s clear the band decided to opt for a clean and polished sound, but this almost entirely drowns out the cymbals. The guitars have a very thick sound to them, however, the reverb on the rhythm tracks turns out to be a bit too much. Consequently, these lost a tad too much punch in the process. This is a shame, because a production like this is quite demanding and tiring to sit through.
Be that as it is, the music itself is pretty good. Beyond The Grave seems to draw a lot of its influences from the Swedish scene. There’s a nod to Dissection with the guitar leads and interludes and a other sections that hint at the craft of Dark Funeral. Aforementioned bands owe their popularity by combining melody and extremity in a fashionable way and Beyond The Grave are trying to pull it off too on ‘Let There Be Destruction’. Thereagainst, woven throughout the album are more thrashier elements too. These allow for a fresh break, but riffs like these could’ve benefit a lot more if the production had more power.
‘Let There Be Destruction’ is a solid album. It encapsulates a lot of intriguing riffs and addictive melodies that’ll resonate with fans of the Swedish Black Metal scene especially. The big drawback is the rather straining production, which takes away a lot of the energy, despite sounding very clear.
Hidden Marly Production
- Country: Japan
- Style: Black Metal
- Links: Homepage, Bandcamp
