Forgotten Jewels: Beyond The Katakomb – S/T

9/10

This jewel is the result of a long held vision of vocalist L-G Persson from power metal veterans The Storyteller and I can´t for the life of me understand why this seemed to slip by the metal community. In a fair world this would be a chart topping monster, an absolute classic. If you like bands like Masterplan, Symphony X, Evergrey and the melodic side of Scar Symmetry this is a safe bet, let me tell you.

I´m prone to long, ranting texts, I´ll try to keep this as short as I can. But where to start then? The songs? Unbelivably good with terrific production and arrangements. Hooks aplenty and some really heavy stuff thrown in for good measure which nicely balances out the melodic content. And the instrumentation itself is breathtaking as one almost takes for granted when the line-up features Matt Guillory (Keyboards, James LaBrie solo, Dali´s Dilemma), Daniel Palmqvist (Guitars, Joe Lynn Turner, ex-Murder of My Sweet), Johan Niemann (Bass, Evergrey, Tiamat) and Henrik Olsson (Drums and growls, Scar Symmetry, ex-Theory in Practice) who all makes this album shine and become this dynamic beast that it is.

The star of the album is however the main man himself, L-G Persson who gives a career defining performance. He pushes himself to new heights and his vocals soars throughout the album. On the amazing, fist pumping anthem “We Rule The Night” his best Jörn Lande impression meets up with the remarkable vocals of Janine Nyman and the result speaks for itself.

The production, courtesy of guitar phenomenon Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry, Kaipa) is splendid. Punchy, dynamic and so easy on the ears. This album has many hidden layers and rewards repeated listens. The hooks grabs you initially and the clever arrangements makes you return over and over again.

There you have it. Do check this out, I really belive that this record can appeal to many metal heads, regardless of prefered genre. You can find links at the bottom for streaming but do yourself a solid and simply buy it. You need this, mate. Ok? Good. Cheers.

Rating: 9/10
Band: Beyond The Katakomb
Title: Beyond The Katakomb
Release Date: June 29, 2018
Label: Black Lodge
Duration: 55 minutes
Place of origin: Sweden
Standout tracks: We Rule The Night, Pavor Nocturnus, The Parallel God, Veilpiercer

https://open.spotify.com/album/2DodPPlkepL5zbIpphTsE8?si=lBYTT1PgSWaL9efKjceb9g

https://blacklodgerecords.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-katakomb