Australia’s Be’lakor is one of those bands that in my opinion never really lived up to their potential. Their brand of Scandinavian-styled melodic death metal was definitely above average due to their progressive songwriting, but there was always something lacking that I could not really put my finger on. After hearing their most recent album ‘Coherence’, it finally became clear what that something was: atmosphere. The album has a deeply oppressive, wintry atmosphere that elevates it so far above the rest of the band’s discography that it turns out to be one of the better melodic death metal albums of the century.

In the media, Be’lakor often is described as Australia’s answer to Opeth. And sure, there are multiple similarities to the Swedes compositionally. Both bands write fairly long songs in which riffs and themes are given a relatively long time to develop, with contrasting sections making for a very dynamic listening experience. The lack of clean vocals and the tranquil parts being far less folky gives Be’lakor a bit of their own identity, however, while the doomy, desolate vibe on ‘Coherence’ brings to mind the strangely romantic take on the genre of the likes of Insomnium in terms of atmosphere.

One thing that makes ‘Coherence’ such a strong album, perhaps fittingly given its title, is how consistent it is. If you can let yourself be carried away by the overall atmosphere of the album, it flows incredibly well. On paper, there is not that much variation on ‘Coherence’. Most of the songs are midtempo and built on similar 3/4 and 6/8 rhythms, with the acoustic sections and the parts led by Steve Merry’s haunting piano being relatively limited in number. And yet, every second on ‘Coherence’ is powerful, gripping material that begs to be heard without really doing anything flashy.

Due to this approach, ‘Coherence’ is better experienced listened to in one go rather than shuffling through separate songs. It does not really have any standout tracks, but that is meant in the most positive way possible. Having said that, it is easy to understand why the relatively riff-driven ‘Hidden Window’ and the haunting ‘Valence’ were chosen as singles, despite them being around nine minutes each. The album is bookended by the longest songs and even those are not a second too long, with especially closer ‘Much More Was Lost’ being spectacular. But even the instrumentals ‘Indelible’ and ‘Sweep Of Days’ are fantastic.

Be’lakor already kind of flirted with the approach of ‘Coherence’ on its direct predecessor ‘Vessels’. But where that one went a bit overboard with the progressive leanings, everything on this album is in service to creating a captivating hour-long listening experience. The fact that they succeed is the most admirable thing about the album, since even the best melodeath tends to run out of steam around the forty to fifty minute mark. Hopefully, this is the sound of Be’lakor finding their stride and the next album will have the same strengths as ‘Coherence’. Not for those wanting to be cheered up, but very rewarding if this atmosphere is for you.

Recommended tracks: ‘Valence’, ‘Much More Was Lost’, ‘Hidden Window’