Releasedate: 27-04-2024
Beyond The Pale has released their debut called ‘Monument In Time’ and it will definitely be a Monument in Time for this band. The album consists of 7 songs and definitely brings a lot to the table. Let us unpack and serve it to you.
Beyond the Pale
Beyond the Pale is a band with a history. Originally Jeroen was part of the band as a guitarist. Sadly, during a performance in DB’s on Kingsnight, Jeroen passed away while doing what he loved: making music. This of course was a very traumatic experience for everyone involved. Monument In Time was released on the anniversary of this night, and of course it was also fitting that Jeroen has his place on the cover. But enough about memories, his musical influences are heard throughout the EP. Let the EP be a happy memory of a great musician and person.
A strong start of the album
The album kicks off with the song ‘Liberation Of The Damned’. A very strong start of the album. The song takes you for a spin with juicy riffs and a clear stable layout. There is a bit of repetition in the song which could give you the idea you’ve accidentally replayed the song in the end.
The Age of Pariah is my favorite track of the album. The song is heavy and well written with great contrasting tempo switches. When the band moves from the slower riff to the blast beats, it leaves you wanting more. This is one I’ll add to my list for sure.
Walk The Plank is a slower song. It offers a bit of contrast with the previous two songs. It has a good melody and a few “shout-along” parts. While these would do well live, they don’t really pull you in while you listen this song with headphones or in your car. The backing vocals that back up the lines “Hoist the flag” and “walk the plank” could definitely use extra voices to make it more captivating and enticing.
Storm en Drift
Storm en Drift is a re-recording. The original song was recorded for the benefit album for DB’s, Utrecht, during the pandemic. I was surprised when I noticed that the song was sung in Dutch. This song is definitely stronger in the black metal vibes. The vocals definitely deserve some extra credits in this song. They seem to have more depth and are backed up by some really good screams. That is probably the influence of bassplayer Frank.
Facts and Figures also has a great contrast between slowing down and speeding up. The build-up to the breakdown which moves onto blast beats is great. The dissonant guitar licks that follow after the chugs feel a bit out of place and out of character when you hear the rest of the album.
Payback Is a Bitch is a killer of a track and is a good send-off at the end of the album. The more melodic guitar solo moves well over the heavy guitar riffs. The song makes you automatically bang your head to the beat and the blast beats keep you invested after the slower parts. The outro is slower and has a catchy tune to it. It would’ve been a great ending to the album.
The bonus track is a “remix” of Facts and Figures. In all honesty, I’m not sure what to think of this track. The idea is cool but the way the song is made doesn’t feel like a proper remix. It takes the strength of the song away with a bland beat and odd noises in the background. Once the song gets some “real” drums in the end it becomes better, however I wouldn’t have missed this track if it wasn’t on the album.
Final Thoughts
All in all, as with every album, it has strong and weak points. The songwriting is well done, the guitar and drums sound great, and the vocals have great contrast with clear black metal influences. The songs are interesting and catchy and will definitely move a crowd. ‘The Age of Pariah’ is the strongest track, followed up by ‘Liberation of the Damned’ which in turn is closely followed by ‘Storm en Drift’.
Tracklisting:
- Liberation for the damned
- The Age of the Pariah
- Walk the Plank
- Storm en Drift (re-recording)
- Facts and Figures
- Payback is a bitch
- Facts and Figures — Frost Rimix – Bonus Remix
You can find Beyond the Pale on their website . MetalFromNL did an interview with these guys about their debut EP and more. Check that out here.
