Mindfire

Here in Europe the US metal style isn't that popular. The only band in this genre who has an immense impact on European metalheads is Iced Earth. But bands like Seven Witches, Vicious Rumors, Helstar, Ruffians, Beyond Fear, Cage, etc. have got very few response in Europe. Maybe that's a good thing, but sometimes it's really sad to see a band like Ruffians only play for about 50 people... Beyond Fallen is such a US metal band, and they made a strong follow-up to their 2005 release "Lost in the Shadows".

High pitched, angry sounding and heavy tuned vocals, that's one of the trademarks of the US heavy metal sound. Influenced by Judas Priest and NWoBHM bands, the US heavy metal style also adds harsher, more melodic and heavier (in the literal meaning of the word) sounds - it sounds a bit more thrashy (polished, but thrashy nontheless), let's say. This is what Beyond Fallen perfectly achieves on "Mindfire". The first song that really comes out, is "Enemy of an Open Mind". The insane heavy guitar riffs make your head bang without even realising it. The sound is so vicious that the atmosphere of true US heavy metal grabs you by your neck. "Closer to the End", the next song, is pure Barlow-era Iced Earth worship. The composition, the voice, the guitars,... One may even doubt if this isn't a song of Iced Earth themselves! "Fields of Honor", an all instrumental song, shows us how heavy metal should sound - not at all boring, and even headbangable without vocals. Then the titeltrack comes up. A strong, mind-blowing song that makes all things clear once and for all: the US heavy metal scene is alive, and it's crushing the zillion pseudo-heavy metal bands that Germany and Scandinavia spit out every few months. Lyricwise the bands are far more ethic, but in a way that the Bay Area thrashers used to do, so not at all to moralizing, but angry-sounding and spitting their guts out on society, globalism and politics. Sadly, this can be a disadvantage live, 'cause no one needs another preaching band. But apart from that, Beyond Fallen made a magnificent album, certainly if you're into heavy metal the way it should be. "Bomb Inside Your Head" is the final song on the album, and finishes off with all moderation and mediocracy within the genre.

All hail to bands like Beyond Fallen, and praise them that they still live up to the heavy metal spirit and make it live again. Let us hope that in Europe the US metal scene slowly earns more disciples.

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