Hysteria comes in with a big riff, pounding and pulsating, the atmosphere for the rest of the album is set almost immediately, a frenzy and a gallop, the vocals are enticing and haunting. Heart Of The Hurricane, the title track is another song that comes in with a big fat riff, and continues in epicness with the vocals soaring to their heart’s content. Through The Mirror brings some interesting changes slowing down to become a melody and a dance through the eternity. Million Lightyears is harmonising, with hints of Nightwish, the guitars are in the background, giving the vocals the leading role, and boy do they shine. Song For The Godless combines grit, power, and atmosphere to make it perhaps one of the most epic songs in the year. Escape From The Earth is haunting, slowly building up to reach a crescendo, ensuring that the listener is hooked throughout. Beneath A Blackened Sky is epic, pulsating with energy, growling from sheer delight and ensuring that the listener is hooked from the get go.
Fairytale of Doom is a pounding and mesmerising masterpiece, cut from a dark cloth and shaped with elements of Nightwish and Epica, but with Beyond The Black delivering a solid thump in their classic style. My God Is Dead, is a mournful but also solidly attacking piece, built on ground work and solid melodies, enchanting. Dear Death swaggers, the riffs delivering some very interesting changes, the vocals are powerful, hauntingly so, ensuring the listener is hooked from the moment they start. Scream For Me is slow, haunting, and dark, the melodies and instrumentation add to this sensation, making it quite clear, just where the band is going, a powerful statement. Freedom is an anthem, a call to life, with twists and turns that are featured quite prominently. Breeze is slow, an interesting melody, with a hopeful dint to it, ensuring the listener is made to feel incredibly hopeful, but also with an edge of despair. Echo From The Past is a driving groove, with power, and movement, producing absolute certainty alongside haunting uncertainty. Parade comes in slow, driving, pounding and exceptional, something that is surely to be an interesting song live.
The album is out on 31st August, via Napalm Records.