Due to a wide range of factors, melodic death metal (or melodeath) has been one of the more popular extreme metal subgenres since its inception. Started in 2021 by Vlad Martynov and Daniel Zolotic, Besomora, the australian four-piece has been able to release an EP with a quite innovative sound in a genre filled to the brim with quality acts. It is undeniable that melodeath houses many bands beloved by fans, from the Swedish In Flames, At the Gates, Dark Tranquility and Arch Enemy to the Finnish Children of Bodom e Amorphis. With that in mind, the Australians show that even though they are still a young project, they have enough quality to enter this “pantheon” of great melodeath groups.
From the first seconds of “Vagabond”, the album’s introductory track, the band already shows what they came for. A choir of guitars with a killer tone and very powerful percussion already helps to show the listener a preview of the next 20 minutes. During the rest of the song, we have an incredibly well executed melodic death metal track, now with the introduction of vocals, courtesy of Vlad Martynov, which sound as if they came from the depths of the soul. There is also a short guitar solo and a few breakdowns, which inject a dose of variety into the already quite varied track. This first song concludes with a breakdown (in halftime) and the next song, “No Remorse” is introduced with a dizzying fill, ensuring that no “momentum” is lost.
The mixing and production of Delusional Monster (responsibility of Vlad Martynov and Daniel Zolotic, guitarist/vocalist and drummer of the band respectively) is another aspect that deserves to be recognized. “Suffocate Me”, the penultimate track, serves as a prime example of the production quality. Starting in a more melancholic way, with a riff in a less aggressive tone (with much less distortion and drenched in reverb and delay) and with a small solo (sporting a more “conventional” tone given the context) we can see that all the instruments “fit” together; they are all perfectly audible and all make sense. With the introduction of drums, bass and vocals, the quality remains; nothing sounds like it’s unnecessarily overlapping The instrumental “The End Of…” is another that shows the real strength of Martynov and Zolotic’s work and as it is a calmer instrumental track, it ends up being a great closer for the EP.
In short, Delusional Monster is a very strong melodeath album. Even though it is the band’s first work, Delusional exudes potential and marks the beginning of the history of a band that would surprise few if they managed to establish themselves as one of the pillars of the subgenre. Due to its riffs obviously being more linked to melodic elements, the EP ends up being quite accessible, even for those who are not fans of more extreme metal genres. It’s really worth a listen.
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Delusional Monster is out now
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