This band started as The Dark Beyond Conception back in 1997 in Oaxaca City. Under that name, they recorded an album in 2000 called *In Growing Decadence*. Around that time, they decided to drop the word "Conception" from their name. Under this name, they have released a compilation album and two full-length albums. *The Fire Within* is their most recent release, published in 2009 by Joel Morales's tireless American Line label. It's a deluxe Digi-Pack edition; judge the cover for yourselves. I checked the booklet for any additional information, but there's nothing about it. In addition to the CD, there's a DVD with a 2006 performance by the band. The CD contains nine tracks and two bonus tracks: a cover of At The Gates' "Blinded By Fear," and the other track ("I…The Temple Of Hate") taken from a 1999 demo cassette. In total, we have over an hour of great metal. For a couple of years now, or more, I've been criticizing bands that try to revive the sound of early Melodic Death Metal, because they simply fail in the attempt. I can't find the melody anywhere. The MDM of the early '90s wasn't as melodic as it later became with second or third albums from bands like In Flames, the kings Dark Tranquillity, or Soilwork. The Dark Beyond aren't trying to revive that sound; they have the advantage of not having formed in this century and being influenced by that early MDM. The result is an MDM that stands out from the average band that ventured into the style, with melodic riffs subtly embedded so as not to be cloying and to sound aggressive—a mix I've called perfect, because I still maintain that melody doesn't have to be at odds with aggression. The album opens with "Finishing The Misery," a kind of keyboard intro leading into the MDM I described above. It's a mid-tempo track, perfect for warming up, with crushing riffs that will hook you on the first listen. There are good tempo changes and a vocal style that's not too guttural, perfectly suited to the music. Melodic interludes add depth to this well-tropicalized MDM. I'm going to skip tracks and only mention a few, as the review would get too long and perhaps tedious. "Among The Flames… I See" is track number 3. It starts strong, with a crushing riff that will engulf you like a tornado. There are tempo changes and that crushing, melodic riff. The song isn't at breakneck speed, and it doesn't need to be; there are parts where the pace increases. At times, the sound reminded me of Darkness from Cuernavaca. Another standout track is "Worth Dying," with a very melancholic guitar sound that early Before The Dawn would have envied, showing that the band goes beyond generic MDM from the last century. It seems the band has saved the best tracks for last, or at least the ones I liked the most. Next up is "The Fire Within"—arrrrgggghhhhh! Pure fucking melodic death metal, real old school, direct, aggressive, and melodic, with a riff that will echo in your head until you're headbanging. Finally, there's a cover of At The Gates, making it clear one of the band's influences, and closing out the set is the track from their 1999 demo, demonstrating that they aren't trying to reinvent the wheel; they're simply doing what they love: primal MDM. The Achilles' heel, as is often the case in Mexico, is that while the sound isn't bad (in fact, it's very good), I don't even want to imagine what it would have been like if this had been recorded on Fredman equipment with Fredrik Nordström at the controls. As for the DVD, I'm going to let you down. Historically, I don't watch videos, not even of my favorite bands. For reference, I've only ever watched one metal DVD from beginning to end, and that was Katatonia's in Poland. I imagine the DVD will be more of a historical artifact, since while I don't doubt that a lot of money was invested in it, our Mexican economy doesn't allow for live DVDs of Mexican bands with such high production values. I don't know if the band is planning a new recording, but while that's happening, what are you waiting for? Get your copy!
Sample:
youtube.com/watch?v=jTEy22CK2CU&list=RDjTEy22CK2CU&start_radio=1&t=196s
