BEYOND THE HATE is a melodic death metal band from Finland who formed in 2017; “Darkest Times” is their full-length debut, although they have released numerous singles since 2019 and also released an EP in 2020. I do appreciate they take a more melancholic and depressing route, which isn’t a surprise considering their native land. But this isn’t your Gothenburg style melodic death nor is it a more modern take that many bands are doing. With that being said, the album didn’t really grab me as much as I was hoping it would. It certainly isn’t bad but there isn’t anything in particular that sticks out to me. Not every album needs a vibrant display of dynamic high points but it also certainly doesn’t hurt, especially in the melo death genre.

I think my biggest issue with the album is that it’s overly long. This isn’t doom, sludge or prog. I don’t need a 12 track melodic death metal album that is over an hour long. None of the songs are bad per say but I did find it a struggle to get through this collection of songs from beginning to end. The album begins with “Sign of Weakness,” and its somber keys. It builds up as crunchy takes over the atmosphere. I will say the bass pops very well and is the highlight of the song but also for the album as a whole. The vocals are mostly what I expected, a growl that still allows for the words to be of decent inflection. The solo is pretty solid and pairs very well with the bass.

It is safe to say that if you like this opener, the rest of the album will be to your liking but, like I said, nothing here is anything beyond serviceable. “The Lighthouse,” is one of the better songs on the album, mostly because the guitars can be rather hooky at times. The two best songs are the ones that feature guests, “Black Within'' and the final song, “In Memoriam.” “Black Within '' is highlighted by Katri Hiovain’s (Numento) vocals and she adds an epic but Gothic vibe to the music. Jaakko Mäntymaa (Marianas Rest) provides a very commanding performance on “In Memoriam.”

Ultimately, while I don’t think “Darkest Times” is terrible, it just isn’t exciting to me and didn’t keep my interest. It’s a solid melodic death metal album but nothing more. I definitely hear the band’s potential so I will keep them on my radar and see how they expand upon their vision.