Album Review :
Beloved (US) - Failure On (VINYL)
By Eric Pettersson in Reviews | Comments closed
Artist: Beloved (US)
Album: Failure On
Label: Broken Circles Records
Release Date: July 26, 2009
Reviewer: Eric Pettersson
Tracklisting:
- Failure on My Lips
- Only Our Faces Hide
- Rise & Fall
- Death to Traitors
- Defect from Decay
- Watching the Lines Blur
- Inner Pattern
- Aimless Endeavor
- Allure
- Insult to Injury
It will remain one of the great tragedies of our market that Beloved was only able to record one album with Solid State before disbanding. Forget talk about potential. They reach near perfection on this 2003 debut. At a time when your choices for hard music were Emery, Project 86, or Zao, the guys in Beloved carved a new niche that combines true hardcore vocals, breakdowns, and intensity with melodic alt-rock sensibilities. It is not the melodic metal of Demon Hunter, nor is it the screamo that was at the height of its popularity then. No, this music was and still is an animal all its own. Lead singer Josh Moore croons over technical, melodic, and somewhat distorted guitars (think Further Seems Forever) until this sound is suddenly interrupted by harsh, thick screams and pummeling guitars and drums. The contrast is bold, and the uninitiated may think the two sounds wouldn’t work together, but that is the beauty and genius of Beloved.
I have no hesitation naming “Death to Traitors” as one of the top ten songs ever to appear on an album from Solid State Records. It is perfectly crafted, matching intensity, energy, melody, power, technicality, beauty… simply put, it’s in your face but gets stuck in your head. The album is worth buying for this song alone, but unlike many of the CDs I own, there is not a single song worth skipping on Failure On, which is lucky considering that this is the vinyl reissue we’re talking about here.
Broken Circles had my interest as soon as I saw their catalog, but it is this, their third release, that has truly won me over as a fan. This album sounds so good on vinyl, and it’s definitely worth a second purchase for those who already have the CD. The lows are more bone-crushing, and the highs are more soothing. Failure On is not just a collection of songs. It’s an experience, and it’s an even bigger experience on vinyl. If I were one to drink malt liquor, I would pour a little on the sidewalk right now in memory of Beloved.