Beholder hails from Quebec, and this is their third full length. I had not been familiar with this band before hearing this, but I am glad I stumbled upon this band. They play extremely dark black metal that truly has its own personality, from the music to the image of the band. The guitars, even when fast, are fairly laid back, but occasionally they'll dip into a big catchy riff that really ups the intensity. Often they'll use melody over top another more rhythmic riff, which gives them an almost atmospheric feel. The drums are easily the backbone of this band, swirling away behind the guitars with all sorts of rolls, cymbal play, and fills. It's a pleasure to hear. Vocally, it's pretty standard fare, delivered in a pretty normal sort of black metal vocal. This music feels almost magical, like a dark spell cast by the band to capture our attention, and the spell has succeeded. I look forward to more from this act.
