ALBUM REVIEW: The End Of My Road – Far Beyond
The End Of My Road is the third album from solo artist Eugen Dodenhoeft under the guise of FAR BEYOND. Previous releases include 2005’s debut An Angel’s Requiem, 2009’s Songs Of Hope And Sorrow EP, and this album’s 2016 predecessor A Frozen Flame Of Ice. While not necessarily prolific, FAR BEYOND encapsulates an excellent mix of symphonic and melodic death metal with an aggressive edge blending in black metal elements, and The End Of My Road represents a well-rounded culmination of Dodenhoeft’s songcraft up to this point. There are melodies that ensnare the attention with a deft approach taken to the composition, yet there is a raw power bubbling beneath the surface which propels a sense of heavyweight might.
A rich, orchestral beginning in the form of Midwinter sets up an enthralling soundscape for the album to build on. While the instrumentation is largely acoustic, the dynamic textures and layers create a growing intensity that delivers a great introduction. A Symphony Of Light runs with the themes generated by the preceding track and develops them into a full flight epic. While the orchestral hooks are still present, the instrumentation is gunned up with galloping electric guitars and charging drums. The effect is not subtle but executed with great success. Welcome to a majestic sweep of melodic death metal with full intent on delivering riffs and refrains to both bang your head to and feel like you’re in an enveloping symphony.
Occasionally, solo artists can find themselves having a musical identity crisis. If they have a multitude of ideas swirling in their heads, it can sometimes feel disjointed when it comes to penning an album. Audiences can be left wondering exactly what the vision is and where the music is supposed to sit. Fortunately, FAR BEYOND have absolutely got a clear vision and the means to illustrate it with precision. While it may be that this should be expected by album three, Dodenhoeft has highlighted that he knows exactly what the music should be doing. With concepts ranging from the fantastical to harsh reality, courage and adversity, The End Of My Road tackles these ideas with a luscious complexity to the songwriting that demands full attention.
There are intricate harmonies with dual guitars and vocal lines weaving between the relentless rhythms, and ever-present orchestral textures that wash over the whole album, but at no point does it appear convoluted nor pretentious. A prime example of this is Tempus Fugit. With more gallops to the riffs than a cavalry charge, there is a relentless drive to the track, enough to keep a hardened headbanger interested but with added layers to keep the whole thing from becoming stagnant or one dimensional. The choral aspects back up the lead vocals expertly and the melodic solos partner with the orchestral elements to make for a really packed yet spacious track. Proper stand out stuff.
FAR BEYOND successfully navigates metal, symphony and interlocking harmonies without pomposity. Instead, we’re presented with a full body of work that will have many people returning to it. From The Stars And The Crescent Moon represents the jewel in the album’s crown. All of the aforementioned vision and musical intricacy is distilled into this one track. That’s not to say that the rest of the album should be ignored in favour of this one track, rather that this is a tremendous summary of what FAR BEYOND are all about.
As a statement to indicate where FAR BEYOND are in terms of progression, The End Of My Road is both powerful and cohesive, uniting all of the many elements that have been present on previous albums and channelling that into a tightly packed 48 minutes that never appears to lose drive or purpose. For an introduction to the idea of symphonic, melodic death/black metal, there are few finer examples.
Rating: 8/10
The End Of My Road is set for release on February 16th via Prosthetic Records.
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