Bejelit – Emerge, Album Review

Bejelit, originating from Italy will be releasing their fourth full length album. It will be the first album to be realised after being signed to Bakerteam Records. Emerge will be realised on the 26^th of March 2012.

Bejelit’s new release Emerge embraces the use of accordions and violins which layer up with solid groovy riffs to create an emersion of sound and melodies. The elevated guitar sound used in the solos reminds me of Michael Amott’s Solos in Wages of Sin and Tiberio Natali’s vocals reminded me of Rolf Kasparek, not a bad thing.

There is a definite edge to the start of each the track which drew me in and got my appetite going for more heavy grooves and chunky guitars. However once the clean vocals comes in the music seems to pause and take a more melodic and soulful route and then pace and groove is picked up again further in.

When I first listened to this album I found it hard to stay interested, I wanted the heavy riffs from Sandro Capone and Daniele Genugu to continue into the track with Giulio Capone’s drum beats and I was disappointed when they didn’t. I also found the lyrics very obvious and boring.  However I did enjoy certain parts of interest and the more I listened to the tracks the more I started to enjoy them, even the ‘whinier’ parts that I previously disliked.

The tracks Defending Dreams Battle and the album title track Emerge continue to build on the energy and power shown at the the start of each, up to an impressive solo.  However that enthusiasm seems to diminish in Defending Dreams Battle at 3:06  with a series of ‘whoowows’ after the solo and then picks up to one last push near the end.

I was happily surprised by last track which is an instrumental. Boogeyman swept me away, with Tiberio Natali’s souring vocals, intricate melodies played by the guitar, accordion and violin. Not what you would expect from a track with that title but there you go.

  Emerge album artwork by Seth Siro Anton

Sonic Pump Studio has nailed the sound quality and balances of each layer to create an emersion of sound. The classical recordings are crisp and soft sounding.  Though I don’t claim to know much about recording.

All the elements are there, each part is played exquisitely. The souring high notes of the vocals, the intricate solos, the beautiful classical elements, especially the violin in Deep Water and the acoustic guitar in We Got the Tragedy. All these elements have the potential to create something unique and powerful but it doesn’t quite get there for me. I was kept interested by little heavy snippets and soulful classical elements but unfortunately the album failed to make a big impression on me though I did enjoy the experience.

Rating:  8 out of 10

Track Listing

1. The Darkest Hour

2. C4

3. Don’t Know What You Need

4. Emerge

5. We Got The Tragedy

6. To Forget And To Forgive

7. Dancerous

8. Triskelion

9. Fairy Gate

10. The Defending Dreams Battle (Auruna’s Gateway)

11. Deep Water

12. DefCon/13

13.Boogeyman

Band Lineup

Daniele Genugu: Gutiar

Sandro Capone: Guitar

Giorgio Novarino: Bass

Giulio Capone: Drums, Keyboard

Tiberio Natali: Vocals

Band Links

http://www.bejelit.has.it/