BEYOND GOD hailing from North Brabant, The Netherlands, were formed in 2008. They are a symphonic Metal band and released so far one EP and three full-length albums. Album number four was mixed and mastered by Jules Fransen. “The Great Divide” has a length of about 46 minutes, and it was released via Italian Death, Thrash, and Gothic Metal specialists WormHoleDeath. Erik van Itterum (KINGFISHER SKY) has been responsible for all additional orchestrations.

 The album opener is the powerful “Cronos”, which starts with an orchestral introduction accompanied by the vocals, turning into a mixture of mid-tempo and fast pace with thunderous riffing and plenty of double-bass drumming. The orchestral arrangements are prominent, but very well integrated into the overall sound. The fast parts have a few symphonic Death Metal vibes, while the slower parts follow an almost stomping rhythm. The vocals of Meryl Foreman are cleans, but not operatic and cover the medium to higher end of the vocal range. “Cronos” is put into a grim melodic framework, and it is a great song to start with. “Frostbite” continues with the dark sound at a measured tempo at an headbanging rhythm. The riffing is crushing, and although the melodies are catchier compared to the opener, the song is spine-chilling, especially when it comes to the chorus part, which is driven by relentless blast-beat attacks. The vocals are deeper and there are hardly any shifts towards higher notes. “Frostbite” is an early album highlight. Darkness and doom prevail in “Coronation”, which is a combination of a steamrolling heavy track and a slow song with ballad-esque features. The chorus parts and the break belong clearly to the latter one, while the verse parts are devastating. Orchestrations are excellently set up and intensify the blood-freezing atmosphere of “Coronation”.

 “Heartbreaker” starts with a piano-driven intro supported by the strings and later by the lead guitars. After the extended instrumental introduction, the track switches its character from a quiet ballad into another symphonic Death Metal inspired hammering driven by blast-beat attacks, tight riffing, and blistering pace, while the prominent orchestrations act almost as a counterpoint of the track. The vocals perform excellently in keeping all that together, and Meryl Foreman shows her immense talent and versatility. The title track has again a very quiet start driven by the orchestra and prominent basslines. There is a clear pattern in the sound of BEYOND GOD, which is the constant battle between a quiet symphonic Metal and the punishing, grim symphonic Death Metal inspired sound. The orchestrations are again very well arranged and fit into both, at times, contradicting styles. Highlight of the title track is the short but contributing lead guitar solo. “A Siren’s Cry” is dark and crushing right from the start, the chorus parts provide the equilibrium in the sound. The track includes numerous twists and turns in rhythm, tempo, and sound, so that it is difficult to follow at times. The orchestrations are mainly driven by the strings with some notable piano contributions. “Pierced” starts at crazy pace with the riffing and drumming, while the vocals and orchestrations offer the contrast in sound. The melodic framework is as spine-chilling as on the entire album. While the verse parts have this disconnect between the Metal instruments on one side and vocals and orchestrations on the other, all players go back into harmony during the chorus parts and the break.

 Finally, there is the inevitable ballad. “The Elder Tree” is mainly driven by the orchestrations with the strings and piano being most prominent alongside the vocals. The song is really for the vocals to shine, and Meryl Foreman grabs the opportunity. She is the star of the track, and she does an excellent job in covering her full vocal range and, most importantly, transporting emotions to the listener. “Aphantasia” goes back to the typical album sound, and it is a constant switch between fast, mid-tempo, and slower parts. The riffing, drumming, and vocals are slightly more dominant than the orchestrations, where the piano and the brass are most prominent. “Aphantasia” has been officially released as live video, and the YouTube link is provided below. The album finishes with “After Love Ends”, and after a short cinematic pre-lude, it has a quiet and slow start, however, after listening to the album, it was obvious, that the ballad inspired parts of the song do not last for long and flesh-ripping guitar riffs and blast-beat attacks are taking over. So, the final track is another interesting mixture of these both contrasts and the highlights are another two excellent lead guitar solo. “After Love Ends” is a very good way to end the album.

BEYOND GOD deliver one of the most interesting and fascinating symphonic Metal albums that I listened to for a long time. In my opinion and to draw a Dutch comparison, a mixture of the sound of EPICA, MAYAN, and CARACH ANGREN would describe the sound of “The Great Divide” very well. The album blends the best of symphonic Metal and blackened symphonic Death Metal and the result are songs, which include the wide range of gentle ballads to punishing blast-beat driven Death Metal. Highlights are the vocals of Meryl Foreman, who keeps those contrasts excellently together and makes this sound possible with her versatility. The album is very well produced. BEYOND GOD release their best album so far, and fans of symphonic Metal, who are not afraid to cross boundaries will be delighted to listen to “The Great Divide”.