Bethzaida 'LXXVIII'
Season Of Mist, 1998
Lord Pale:
Bethzaida hail from Norway and LXXVIII is their second release that is being called a masterpiece by some. What is on offer here is a basically darkmetal/deathmetal hybrid that relies on groove driven riffs and long atmospheric passages to create ... whatever it is they are trying to create but in my books the only mood this album conjures in me is boredom. Flutes are used to some effect but are abused by continual overuse and little variation, as are the vocals. Delivered in a deep throaty growl the vocalist attempts to actually sing his lyrics in this style and ends up sounding like an agitated walrus rather than anything very ominous. Occasional keyboard passages make an apperance but have no effect on the mood of the music (at least they are far less abundant than the flutes I guess) adding yet another useless dimension to the Bethzaida sound. Dark poetic lyrics get no chance to shine due to the lame vocals and the sevre lack of song writing skills on display, with long drawn out songs with no hooks or breaks to speak of. Well whatever you hear about how good this band are outside of this site, I suggest you ignore it. Crap!
Favourite Tracks - No Regrets Before Death
Mark - 3/10 |
