Beyond The Black - 'Lost In Forever'

This is one truly amazing album.

Beyond The Black is a fabulous Symphonic Metal band from Germany who appeared to have taken Within Temptation as their template when they crashed successfully onto the scene in 2014. A cute, diminutive female singer with an amazing voice, backed up by an all-male band? Check. Wonderful songs starting out with a Folk Rock flavour, before erupting into heavy, epic grandeur? Check. Occasional grunting vocals? Check. Movie quality promotional videos shot in atmospheric natural surroundings? Check. But hell, when it's done this good one can forgive a little unoriginality. 'Lost In Forever' is their follow-up to 2014's debut 'Songs Of Love And Death', and with both albums heavily influenced by producer Sascha Paeth (Avantasia), the sonic quality is beyond reproach. Married to the wonderfully talented song-writing on display, this is a relationship that is a winner straight out of the gate.



Title track 'Lost In Forever' opens the album in an urgent gallop of guitars, keyboards and drums, before Jennifer Haben's powerful vocals kick in to deliver a stunning example of the Symphonic Rock genre. But, the following two tracks lift the band to a higher commercial level; 'Beautiful Lies' is a delightful Folk-influenced song that reminds me of Stormwitch (circa 'Beauty And The Beast') but with a harder edge, while 'Written In Blood' combines all the successful elements of Female-Fronted Symphonic Rock with one of the catchiest choruses this side of an ABBA convention... simply glorious!

Elsewhere, it's pretty much more of the same. 'Beyond The Mirror' could have come straight off WT's 'Mother Earth', whilst 'Dies Irae' feels like something from the Omen movie soundtrack... on speed. When we come to the counter-pointing growling vocals on 'Forget My Name', something I'm not usually a great fan of, it's actually enjoyable hearing something a bit different. Also different is the closing 'Love's A Burden', a delicate acoustic ballad show-casing Haben's vocals to the fore

Bottom line, this is one truly amazing album, and one which, if WT hadn't got there first, everyone would have been proclaiming as the next big thing. Check them out on YouTube, then go get the albums. Anyone with wolves in their videos is okay by me!

Bruce Mee