Against The Elements

Beyond The Embrace are coming from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Between you and me, I would have bet a fortune these guys are from Sweden as their metal is so much inspired by the kings of melodic death metal, In Flames. Even though these musicians incorporates a vast collection of influences ranging from bay-area thrash to melodic death metal, Against The Elements reminds me too much Clayman (last In Flames studio album) : the vocals of Shawn Gallagher, the guitar harmonies and the song-writing are very close to the Swedish death metal scene. Bastard Scream - the opener - is the trademark of the album, with swirling lead guitar work held into place by Gallagher's melodic vocals which are excellent and can be described as the perfect clone of Anders Fridén (In Flames). Bastard Screams, Release, Compass & The Bending Sea are the songs to check and while Gallagher points out their "love" to Evergrey, Soilwork and of course In Flames, he recognizes the old school drives also their creativity (Iron Maiden, Slayer, Megadeth). The melodic fury coming from the triple guitar is excellent and I hope they will be able to pull it off live. As far as I am concerned, this band still need to digest its direct influence - especially In Flames or Iron Maiden - because Against The Elements is not enough personal. On the other hand, with an average of 23 years old, these musicians have all the required talent to write good songs - some of these songs being almost "progressive" when the tempo is slower. The production is powerful enough to make all the details of the music clear. If you are a fan of the above-mentioned band, you should check them out. Nice start ... to be confirmed.