Beyond the Black - Hørizøns (2020)

Fronted by the talented Jennifer Haben, today we have Germany’s latest Symphonic/Gothic Metal export Beyond the Black and their fourth full-length release “Hørizøns”. Slowly climbing the ranks of a very crowded genre(s), this German outfit is ready for the global spotlight with their dynamic and engaging music that falls more on the Metal side than most similar outfits. If you like catchy and hard rocking female fronted tunes, this is a band to keep on your radar.

The release does not waste any time in delivering soaring vocal arrangements, powerful guitar leads, and dramatic orchestrations on the title track opener. The band’s distinctively heavy sound is quite refreshing as most bands in this genre(r) are usually leaning towards more ‘consumer friendly’ sounds. “Misery” and “Wounded Healer” clearly showcase that the band means business with a high-octane pace and lush instrumentation. Being experts in crafting catchy melodies, tracks like “Some Kind of Monster” and “Golden Pariahs” have a certain (mid-career) Within Temptation meets Delain vibe.

One thing that we greatly appreciate is that the band does not overly abuse the use of multiple vocals in songs, allowing the tracks where they are used more (like “Marching On”) to really shine and stand out from the rest. Partnering with Elize Ryd on “Wounded Healer”, and Tina Guo on “I Won't Surrender” give the band an extra level of dynamism on their sound while showcasing the talents of their guest musicians at the same time.

As a whole, “Hørizøns” is a refreshing release that stays heavy while delivering a hefty dose of dreamy symphonic and vocal arrangements. Slowly refining their sound over the years, Beyond the Black is poised to grow their fan base with this release, and we can’t think of a better presentation card to entice fans from all over the world than this album.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: June 19th, 2020

Genre: Symphonic/Gothic Metal

Country: Germany