Search - Volbeat :: Beyond Hell / Above Heaven

Volbeat puts out one of this year's best albums

Jack Treese | Holley, NY | 09/15/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ah, Volbeat. I remembered I had no idea who these guys were until I had seen them with Lamb of God and Metallica back in November of 2009. Immediately after the show, Volbeat had earned themselves a hardcore fan of sorts. I now have each of their albums, and not a single ounce of regret comes with it. This past week, their newest album dropped on us.



Not only is it probably their best record, but it's probably one of the best hard rock/metal albums of the year.



For those of you who follow Volbeat's story-telling, this album is a sequel to Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood. For the rest of us, it's just another album of pure awesomeness. No weird intros to build up into it, the album takes off with the energetic "Mirror and the Ripper". With this album, it's clear that Volbeat take a lot of different ideas from the rock spectrum for use on this album. "Who They Are" is sort of reminiscent of Slayer in the beginning of the song, "Fallen" takes a Foo Fighters 'Everlong' approach but doesn't come off as copycatty. Then the album begins to get hard and heavy. "7 Shots" will surely be appreciated by old school thrash fans, old and new. "16 Dollars" is a punk-rock throw-down of its own.



However, if you're a metal-head like me, then you'll probably absolutely fall in love with "Evelyn", a very catchy song that features the vocal talents of Mark "Barney" Greenway from Napalm Death. While a questionable choice, it happens to fit perfectly in place, so it's alright. Fans of Volbeat will deeply appreciate hearing "Thanks".



Matter of fact, there's only one thing I don't like about the album and even so it's a mild complaint compared to the problems with a lot of newer hard rock albums... that is, I'll never understand why Volbeat decided to put "A Warrior's Call" on this album. As good of a song as it is, it was out last year and it was written for a boxer. The song just doesn't fit with the story-telling. They're lucky Warrior's Call is a good tune.



Overall, Volbeat has put out a very fantastic album that you owe it to yourself to check out if you have the chance."

INCREDIBLE! A MODERN CLASSIC!

Explorator | Los Angeles, CA | 09/18/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is with immense relief that I can say after listening to the new Volbeat album for the second time...it actually EXCEEDED my expectations and emerges as possibly their best album so far! It's really exciting when the newest album from a band is this good because it makes you wonder if they've even reached their peak yet. 'Mirror and the Reaper' is a great opener and immediately sets the tone for the astonishing tour through musical bliss you are undertaking. Ripping right along you will witness track after track of sheer energetic / melodic mastery, including the unforgettable 'Fallen', the ripping thrasher '7 Shots' and the melodic / haunting "Evelyn" with its occasional shocking and awesome death metal vocal bursts. 'Being 1' is an ultra-melodic romp that sounds like a hit single ready for radio play, while 'Heaven Nor Hell' features some of the meanest harmonica playing you'll ever hear before breaking into a 50s style groove fest complete with razor edge guitars and rockabilly lust in overdrive! While many bands tend to put their best songs toward the beginning of their albums Volbeat ends this modern classic album with possibly their best song yet - 'Thanks' is my favorite track on the album (a barroom anthem if ever there was one) because it's the one that's been playing over and over in my mind the most.



Volbeat's uncanny ability to clearly pay homage to their influences without sounding like a shameless rip-off of those influences is simply amazing. It is a VERY fine line to walk and this band does it with a rare combination of confidence, grace and honor. While some sections of their songs continue to sound like newly discovered tracks from Metallica and Slayer when they were at their peak (that's certainly not a bad thing as far as I'm concerned), and the rousing catchy 'Misfit' style vocal melodies are still on full display, Volbeat continues to craft an overall unique style that is almost impossible to describe. In this album they have managed to include even more of the best influences of rock 'n roll, rockabilly, punk & metal (including brilliant nods to such diverse influences as The Ramones, Social Distortion, Johnny Cash, and Mercyful Fate) without sounding disjointed in any way. Every song flows with a melodic mastery and raw energy that is a rare treat to behold.



I can wholeheartedly say that there isn't a single weak track on the entire album. Not since "Dark At Dawn"s self-titled album (back in 2006) have I been able to say that about a band. 'Beyond Hell / Above Heaven" is truly an incredible musical gem which proves that Volbeat is a consistent, rapidly rising force in modern music. If future albums are of this calibre (or better, if that's possible) the band will certainly achieve legendary status.



All fans of solid, powerful, energetic, melodic, ripping, catchy, confident music should have this album in their collection."