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Leverage: Above The Beyond
Leverage - Above The Beyond Album Art

Leverage: Above The Beyond

Melodic Progressive Metal Rock
5.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 13.10.2021 | Released: 15.10.2021

In 2018, after a substantial absence, Finland's Leverage regrouped and resurrected with a new band featuring a new vocalist, Kimmo Blom (ex-Urban Tale, Raskasta Joulua) and a new second guitarist Mikko Salovaara. The studio was the next stop and the band produced their long-awaited fourth album, Determinus in 2019, which reestablished the band as formidable metal presence. Now the band adds to their Scandi metal sovereignty with Above The Beyond, their latest and fifth album, returning to the Frontiers Music label.

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Leverage

Once more with Above The Beyond Leverage offers fans, new and faithful, music and songs which are both creative and not quickly genre specific. The larger motif, if necessary, is simply melodic metal rock. A great many songs offer bracing strong riffs over an equally strong rhythm section for heaviness, but also some quickness that betrays some power metal. These things can be found within Under His Eye, Starlight, or Into The New World. But there's more to these songs than meets the ear.

For example, Starlight may have rabid riffs and speed, but also a soft vocal and acoustic start which reminds of a lullaby. Into The New World twists Celtic-like guitar and string with a heavy chorus that nearly punches you in the gut. Then there's Emperor with the symphonic flavors from violin informing a melodic metal abundant with melody, vocal harmony, and rock groove. Listen below. All these songs suggest some progressive rock nuances, if not simply very skillful song composition. The epitome of this is the concluding number Silence. At nine minutes, Silence isn't so much a "quiet" piece, but a composition that juxtaposes heaviness with moments of musical subtlety with the calm bass-led start, acoustic and choral breakdown around six minutes, and the orchestral outro to finish. Impressive.

All said, Leverage's Above The Beyond is perhaps their best album to date. Perhaps even one of the best albums of 2021. It's an entertaining and completely engaging album of melodic progressive metal rock which should be on your short list for purchase. Quite Recommended.




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The Take Away

Leverage's Above The Beyond is perhaps their best album to date. Perhaps even one of the best albums of 2021. It's an entertaining and completely engaging album of melodic progressive metal rock which should be on your short list for purchase. Quite Recommended.

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