Beseech - My Darkness, Darkness (Despotz Records)

English:CD-review
  Van Muylem    31 januari 2016

In 2003 the founding member Klas Bohlin (guitar) decides to leave the band to focus on other musical challenges... the “old” era of Beseech was put to rest. In the summer of 2012 Beseech was brought back to life again by the original composers, Klas Bohlin (today vocals) and Robert Vintervind (guitar). After some successful jams their new material sounded more Beseech than ever, back to its roots with delivering the same characteristic melancholic feeling, but in a new mature way. Shortly after, Manne Engström (guitar) re-joined the band and Beseech entered the classic Beseech studio, StudioMega/Fascination Street during the fall of 2012 to figure out the new direction of the band.


For a band that lasts over 20 years, some changes in the line-up is often a fact. Due to the new sound it was also necessary with some line-up changes. The new members are; Johan Örnborg (bass), producer/mixer at Fascination Street Studios and Angelina Sahlgren Söder (vocals), with experience from both theatre and musicals. Håkan Carlsson (drums), is rounding up the new line up with a more intense drum playing. The most obvious change is the third generation of singers. With Klas and Angelina behind the microphones Beseech has developed a more country influenced way of singing with more space for harmony vocals.

I must be honest: I was looking for bands that might figure on the next edition of one of the finest festivals happening in Belgium: The Metal Female Voices Fest in Wieze. It happened somebody pointed out that I might have to listen to their new album. Well, first of all it’s not female fronted, but I didn’t regret listening to their new album, on the contrary: I absolutely adore their sweet and melancholic sound! This album already turns out to be my favorite album I listened to in 2016! In the past I got hooked to The 69 Eyes and now it’s Beseech time! Somehow I feel like both bands have certain sound in common, at least the catchy and gothic part!

Beating Pulse reminds me a bit of Blue Öyster Cult (Feel The Reaper): the psychedelic sound, the sweetness and the way the vocals are melted together and form like one voice. It really sounds so good! The melancholic part and the retro touch is simply the best! Synths, guitars, drums, vocals … It’s a perfect match. More bitter sweetness comes with the soft Gothic Rocker The Shimmering. This song is so perfect that it almost makes me cry and clear all the noise to focus better on the track. I feel like I want to jump into the track and run away from reality, just to embrace the powerful feel I get from Beseech! Check out the new video here. Bloodline Fever mixes again the vocals in such a way that it’s sometimes hard to make up who’s leading. The sound is very catchy Gothic Rock. Somebody should ask The 69 Eyes to make their own version of this song and see if it fits them too, for sure with their vampire touch! Some more rock’n roll enters with Mr. Uninvited, yet another well-crafted diamond! The whispering gives it something erotic, whilst the twinkeling sound and the female vocals gives it that catchy earworm touch! I start to wander how they sound on stage and really hope I will see them! My Darkness, darkness starts with a bluesy sound (genre Chris Isaac) and an acoustic guitar whilst the vocals melt together. When the song explodes it comes near to my first observation about Blue Öyster Cult. Klas also sings with a clean voice (you can hear it when it’s not melted together), just as the angelic voice of Angelina. I like the little orgue in it. It feels like the track that Type O Negative could have produced if Peter wasn’t sitting next to David Bowie and Lemmy. At some point I even want to sing-a-long, that says enough, no? More heavenly and romantic vibes comes with Atmosphere, it feels like sung by a vampire gang and their special magic starts to work from the first note! Heads up for the studio work and the crafting! Towards the end the sound even gets richer and warmer. Highwayman has a very American sound, just like the lyrics point out. The piano is great, just as the guitars when the song explodes. The cello gives us a sad feeling, whilst the vocals sound like an angel and a vampire making love to each other. The more I listen to it, the more I fall in love with it! This album indeed has all The Ingredients to make it! This song is the perfect mix between catchy gothic rock, a bluesy sound and dark story telling! This song drags you deeper and deeper into their world! The melancholy takes you down, cages you! One Last Call is more into pop/rock with speed ups and low downs. It’s melancholia with an attitude! I feel like writing down 1.000 words about how good this track is, but I think by now I can do that for every single track on the album! Darksome is a soft track, sweet but with a dark feeling. It weeps and rocks you and will haunt your head with the catchy sound! You can compare it a bit with the feeling you get whilst listening to Tindersticks (and yes I’m also a big fan of them). The Symbol is already the last track, which is pretty sad as I feel like listening to them for the whole day (and in the end I did for a whole week before finishing this review). I hear some bluesy rock’n roll with a vampire goth touch mixed with a slice of Blue Öyster Cult. It’s a great end for the best album of the year (so far).

I can’t wait to see them on stage and thank you Beseech for the great time!