BENEA REACH - ALLEVIAT - 2008

In Norway they know how it works. Metal albums over there are nominated for the Grammy Awards, also the previous Benea Reach album ‘Monument Bineothan’ was put into this position. In contrary to that album ‘Alleviat’ contains a lot more melody but the metalcore of the six men still has a very dark and industrial feel. As they used to be the band is still self willing and on the new album the songs are a lot catchier. As a whole it’s also a lot more compact than ‘Monument Bineothan’. That makes the listener much more comfortable, the roller coaster ride of these Norwegians is now digestible.

The metalcore version of Meshuggah show us in “Lionize” and “Dominion” a fabulous dark atmospheric pattern that sets forth to overwhelming battering parts. In the middle of the album (“Reason”) the gas pedal is loosened a bit and the beautiful female voice is possessing the listener. Nevertheless in the old Isis way the companionship is still flying off the handle without losing the melody in this song. It’s one the highest peaks of the record because the high pitched screams of singer Ilkka aren’t used that much. His vocals are the critical point of this disc. The piercing voice is very present in the mix so at a certain time it becomes an assault on your ears. If you don’t agree with this or it doesn’t bother you, then ‘Alleviat’ is a forth striving metalcore album that needs to be heard for sure.