BEYOND THE BLACK
DANNII LEIVERS
Hørizøns NAPALM
Symphonic Germans head off on a rocky new path
Beyond The Black - but still in the dark about what direction to take
BEYOND THE BLACK’S 2015 debut album, Songs Of Love And Death, provided a solid introduction to the Germans’ brand of sturdy, symphonic metal. Sure, it didn’t reinvent any wheels, but it bagged them a fanbase across Europe and displayed enough care and capability to suggest they could eventually stick their heads above the parapet in a crowded scene. Since then, though, line-up and sound changes have scuppered their momentum. In 2016, vocalist Jennifer Haben was left to rebuild the band from scratch after every one of her bandmates quit at once. And following a tentative detour into pop-metal waters with their last album, Heart Of The Hurricane, unsurprisingly it feels like fans are yet to meet the fully realised Beyond The Black.