What Lies Beyond – Coup De Grâce
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
A few days ago, I found an email in my mailbox, from the Croatian band “What Lies Beyond”. The band was founded in 2012 by guitarist Filip Samardžić. Since then there have been several lineup changes. Since 2017, this seems to be constant. After the release of the EP “Transcendence” (2015) the songwriting for the debut album started. At the end of 2016, the band went to the BETONIC GROUND Studio by Vojan Koceić and started recording. The material was then mixed and mastered by Henrik Udd (Bring Me The Horizon, Hammerfall, Architects, At The Gates …). It then took more than two years for the quintet to release “Coup De Grâce” in early February. Sales are self-directed via the band pages on the Internet. Of course, I once listened to the album.
While listening to the opening beats of “Turning Tides” one believes that this is a thrash metal album. But far from it, in addition to the growls, vocalist Ivan Šipić also has an impressive clear voice. And most of the songs are also very melodic (for example, listen to “Drink The Night Away” or “Behind The Closed Doors”). According to their own words, the songwriting is influenced by bands like Asking Alexandria, In Flames or Sixx Am. I would add early Sonic Syndicate or Five Finger Death Punch. This would outline what the album sounds like. The interplay of clear vocals and growls runs almost over the entire album. An extremely pleasant exception is the hymnic “Edge Of Sanity” or “Nothing Left To Prove”. Here dominates the clear, sometimes scratchy sounding voice of the singer. Outstanding is the piano ballad “Marilyn Rose pt1”. The second part “Marilyn Rose pt2” was released as a single and shows again all the trademarks of the band, rhythmic drumming, banging riffs and excellent guitar hooks. The album ends with the very melodic “Bitter Truth”.
What Lies Beyond have published a very solid debut album. “Coup De Grâce” is a modern produced hard rock / metal album, which fully ass-kicking. Fans of the aforementioned bands should definitely listen to the individual songs. On the further development of the band you can certainly be very curious.
What Lies Beyond – Marilyn Rose Pt.2: https://youtu.be/WVLsxlz6Doc
Lineup:
Ivan Šipić – Vocals
Filip Samardžić – Lead Guitar
Ante Katinac – Rhythm Guitar
Ante Topić – Bass Guitar
Marin Jakić – Drums
Label: Self distributed
Out: February 2nd 2019
Playingtime: 42:05
Track list:
- Turning Tides
- Drink The Night Away
- Behind The Closed Doors
- Edge Of Sanity
- “Guilty Crown”
- Nothing Left To Prove
- Marilyn Rose pt1
- Marilyn Rose pt2
- Confessions
- Neverending Story
- Bitter Truth
Rating : 7/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
