Labels: Suicide Records
Formats: Digital
Release Date: 01 Nov 2024
Tracklist:
1. An Omen Of...
2. The Final Hour
3. Equilibrium
4. End Of The Horizon
I had nothing review-wise pencilled in for this evening. I usually put together a schedule of sorts based on regular reviews (my ZBR roster reviews for example) and fit more reviews in between. It's basically a vein attempt to convince myself that I'm organised when in reality I'm so far behind on e-mails it's not even fair anymore.
So instead of using the time to catch up, I'm excitedly writing about a new EP that's due for official release on Friday. Coming courtesy of Swedish/Finnish label Suicide Records, Equilibrium is the latest release from Finnish post/prog metal band Besra. It'll be available digitally and follows on from their 2023 full-length Transitions.
Finland’s rich musical heritage has contributed so many bands, whom have been written about multiple times since. Bands including Amorphis, Insomnium, Sentenced, Swallow The Sun (the list goes on) have woven a tapestry of progression, mournful gothic melody, post-metal beauty and deathly aggression all of their own. That is why bands like Besra exist today. On Equilibrium’s opener ‘An Omen Of…’ they encapsulate all of the above to produce a truly epic mix of melody and heaviness. The country’s folklore and personality flows through the song as Besra refuse to give in to outside influences.
Besra’s songs on Equilibrium have an undeniably dramatic feel and tone to them. Listen to ‘The Final Hour’ if you don’t believe me. Glorious post-rock/metal instrumentation is joined by spoken-word vocals, both of which beg it to go on and on, and it does as it flows into the title-track ‘Equilibrium’. A punchier, heavier number that plays to Besra’s progressive strengths as it lets yet more melody in. Reading that people have been comparing them to Cult Of Luna and the like is pretty accurate but I think they definitely have a personality all of their own. Their music is better because of it too.
EP closer ‘End Of The Horizon’ is delivered with excellent precision. Being a sextet with multi-instrumentalists allows for a lot of flexibility and it shows in the expressiveness that exists through all four songs. In the current musical climate, it’s too easy for a band to allow their sound to become too compressed and modern-sounding. I think Besra have got it right here though as they keep things a bit simpler, letting their own instruments and voices do the talking.
A perfect accompaniment to the winter nights that are drawing in but without cliche. This EP is excellent from beginning to end, warming the heart and cleansing the soul.
You can stream the title-track and pre-order the EP digitally via Suicide Records below:-
Suicide Records - https://www.suiciderecords.se/store/ / https://www.facebook.com/suiciderds