Of Breath and Bone

In what can only be described as a natural progression of one of the most highly regarded melodic death metal albums of the decade in Stone's Reach, Be'lakor have taken to the studio once more with the hopes of building on their already unrelenting momentum.

Of Breath and Bone begins as if "Countless Skies" was a season finale that left its audience begging for answers, building upon the exact qualities responsible for the praise of its predecessor. The dense, almost depressive atmosphere is as prominent as ever, separating the band from the sea of melodic death metal as oil asserts itself atop water. Their songwriting prowess is put on display as early as the opening track, "Abeyance", and just gets better and better throughout the course of the album. A noticeable difference this time around is the more folk-influenced guitar melodies, and a stronger focus on piano passages - both of which add to the overall somber mood. It's far from being monumentally different, but that's not going to upset a great deal of fans by any means.

In spite of the subtle changes, the album as a whole works perfectly as a direct follow-up to Stone's Reach, as some of the riffs even sound similar in the sense that - again - a story is being concluded. The fact that this ability spans two albums and not just two songs is rather impressive in itself, but this isn't the band's most appealing quality. That distinction would go to the accessibility, which of course at this point is synonymous with the genre, but here Be'lakor have an advantage. Building on the aforementioned atmosphere, these guys manage to include some incredibly catchy riffs and haunting melodies that are capable of inducing a man-tear or two while the headbanging quality is top-notch. Think Amon Amarth at their manliest or Insomnium at their bleakest. The band members deserve kudos if not only for incorporating elements from both bands while maintaining their own voice - something that is unique in this genre.

Songs begin and end in what is fast becoming "typical fashion" for the band, with introductions that build up a bombastic body of work before closing out with even more fervent proficiency, and yet another break in the action by way of an acoustic instrumental track ("To Stir the Sea") keeps the album from becoming one continuous melting pot of overlapping riffs.

Simply put, Of Breath and Bone is more of the same but in a more continued sense that will undoubtedly cause the same stir as its predecessor. This album doesn't mark a new direction and maintains the same successful formula as before, but this time around the entirety of the band's sound comes off as more direct, and even slightly more daring. With a mixture of fluffy, light-hearted melodies and brutal fist-pounding riffs backing up the always delectable growls of George Kosmas; a heavy production that lends a major hand to the doleful vibe, thanks in large part to Jens Bogren; and insanely catchy, yet forward-thinking compositions, these Australians have delivered exactly what fans of the band have been eagerly awaiting. No unpleasant surprises, no needless changes or drastic transitions - just well-executed melancholic melodic death metal that further builds upon a foundation that is largely considered to be one of the strongest currently in the scene.