Self Therapy (Dusktone)

 Beyond Helvete is a German Black Metal band formed in 2007 by Natrgaard only and, as many one-man Black Metal bands, Beyond Helvete has chosen the Suicidal Black Metal aesthetics as its form of expression, but unlike the most of today’s Depressive Black Metal bands, the music of this German band moves quite away from this whole trend, delivering at this album six tracks of hateful and painful Black Metal with several Doom and even Death Metal influences, reminding me the Dark Metal sound of early Bethlehem… The vocals of Natrgaard are sick and twisted mid tone ripping screams; the guitar work is heavy, thrashing and obscure, while the varied drum work contributes with a very solid base for the whole music. “Self Therapy” is an incredibly varied album, the bizarre conjunction of a hateful sense of melody, which creates the emotional atmosphere that surrounds this album, and unusual structures that ranges from straight Black Metal passages to some quite soothing Rock laden parts (such the entire fifth track “A Nameless Desire”), makes of this records an amazing Black Metal opus… I think this album may have a better response from the more traditional side of the Black Metal audience rather than the Suicidal Black Metal audience, since what you’ll get on this record is definitely not the kind of music you’ll find at an average Depressive Black Metal release… So keep an eye on Beyond Helvete,  “Self Therapy” is one of the solidest Doomish Black Metal releases I’ve heard in a while…If you like your Black Metal harsh, odious, varied and well composed, I strongly recommend you to get this record, you just can’t go wrong with this self-destructive, tortured and hateful piece of  Metal. (AP)