BEYOND THE PALE
Monument In Time (EP)
As metalheads sometimes we are tasked with a sense of exploration. There is always a new subgenre with fifteen different descriptive terms preceding them. Even though this can be a fun journey, it feels nice to return to basics every now-and-then. If you’re looking for a raw and intense, straight-forward death metal experience, BEYOND THE PALE’s new EP “Monument In Time” is what I would prescribe.
THE BAND
Formed in Utrecht in 2020, BEYOND THE PALE has a promising future in the Dutch death metal scene. Harmonic guitars from Boudewijn De Kraaij and Geoffrey Maas provide the listener with a landscape of death metal greatness. Drummer Johnny Derechos provides a march of brutality and bassist Frank van Boven keeps the heart intact for a very solid rhythm section. The glue that holds everything together is vocalist Janneke de Rooy, who shakes the album with high tortured shrieks and demonic growls that take any listener and enjoyer of extreme metal back to a time where brutality reigned supreme above all.
THE ALBUM
As this is the band’s debut EP, it is necessary to note that these tracks are dedicated to founding member Jeroen van Donselaar who passed away unexpectedly in 2022 from cardiac arrest. An innovator in DIY guitar riffing, husband, and father of two young children, the 50-year-old was loved and respected by all that knew him. This humble reviewer can only wish that he rests in power.
The EP is just about as death metal as it gets. The opening track “Liberation For The Damned” has such raw energy that will have you craving more. Luckily, those cravings are satisfied! The standout track for me is the closing track “Payback Is A Bitch”, which radiates a hardcore punk influence and will have you moshing in your car, desk or living room.
Other standouts from the EP include “Walk The Plank”, which gives a nice back-and-forth between melancholic guitar leads and the brutality found on the rest of the tracks, and “Facts And Figures” which builds a sonic landscape from the syncopation around the rhythm section and groovy guitar lines.
THE VERDICT
With only six short tracks to review, I can definitely say that I am hoping for a full-length album to be released soon. BEYOND THE PALE offers something that I haven’t heard in a while, simplicity. Sometimes it feels right to go back to basics and the Do it Yourself mentality of the band hits all the right spots. “Monument In Time” will be independently released on April 27. Go pick up a copy and enjoy!
Matthew McCune