(c) Fäust
In addition to his work with Elvenstorm, whose last album was released in 2018, Michaël Hellström looked for and found a playground for harder sounds. fists move in hellishly fast Blackened Death realms with similarly dark and diabolical themes. The programmatically titled first album was found between elemental force, melody and epic „Death From Beyond“whose gruff rage doesn’t let go easily.
The highlight awaits at the end: “Hellstorm” channels the quite complexly acted out rage of this record in six epic minutes and repeatedly surpasses itself. Frontal attacks, hoarse whining and expansive, deep black melody carpets collide with biting Black Metal, performed as rough as energetic. Hellström whips the track forward furiously, whereby the somewhat more melodic, dark middle section with its sweeping guitar solo knows how to entertain. Of course, this breaks any genre boundaries with pleasure, which in view of the high quality of the presentation doesn’t bother you in the slightest.
Fists can also be shorter and tighter: “And All That Is Evil” packs nasty esprit into a crisp 190 seconds. Scandinavian Black Metal pushes forward, accompanied by a bit of melancholy. Said abyss belongs to this record, as the altogether much more lethal “To Death And Beyond” shows very well. Frosty riffing occasionally breaks up to make way for the eclipsing sun. In the opening epic “When Death Spawns Fire” the epic reappears, only dressed in much heavier robes. Clanging cauldrons collide with necrophilic muff.
More black than death, a win in this combination: Hellstrom swims free from his band life with this banging record. “Death From Beyond” is a brutal work, no question, but lives on its subtle, sometimes surprising nuances. Overwhelming melody approaches and sublime epic drive Fäust on – certainly building blocks that you know so well, but which were put together in a highly entertaining, intensive, driving way. There might be more of this sideshow in the future.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 09.12.2022
Available through: Black Lion Records
Facebook: www.facebook.com/faust.metalfromhell
Category: Magazin, Reviews
