Beyond Surface
Destinations End
7.7
Sweeping last years 'Young Metal Gods' competition, hosted by Noise Records, Germany's Beyond Surface eliminated all other acts that opposed the sextet with their brand of gloomy goth metal, akin to Lullacry, Sentenced, and HIM. Having a sound that is edgy, yet very accessible, their compositions can easily be appreciated by both the mainstream and underground alike, making for an obvious choice on the judge's part. Before long, the band emerged as the newest group signed to the Noise Records imprint and found themselves in the studio, commencing production on what would become their debut on the label, Destination's End.
Much like their peers, Beyond Surface employ the 'bass driven verse, erupting into a memorable chorus' construction throughout each track, seemingly, to no end. This method works both as a benefit and a burden. In one hand, the songs are consistently catchy and entertaining but in the other, on occasion, the borders are blurred between where one track ends and another begins, thus taking away from the overall enjoyment of Destination's End. Despite this minuscule matter, one should not dismiss the album in its entirety based around a single opinion. The important point here is that there are several well-crafted tunes on the record with minimal other flaws. Listen for yourself!
With lyrics about loss on some level within a relationship, uniform to The Cure and Depeche Mode, the record bubbles over with a passion and emotion that anyone can relate to, without being overly whiny. Fans of eighties new wave will instantly identify the slight influence that faintly traces each of the twelve melancholic tracks. As a testament to the band's own admiration for the era, Destination's End is closed with their own rendition of the popular Paul Young classic "Come Back And Stay".
Along with their aforementioned goth brethren, Beyond Surface implement touches of Lacuna Coil and Paradise Lost into the fold, making for quite a befitting debut outing and affirming that, as a whole, they are as capable of success as any other act out there, past or present. If you are an aficionado of the more moody side of metal, or dark music in general, Destination's End is a suitable beginning for your next disc rotation.
