Eclipsed Sun Path

I‘ve heard many times the term “bedroom bands” to be mentioned for one-man bands. Irony and depreciation of someone’s work, finds me opposite regardless how bad the result of that work sounds. Unfortunately, Beyond Light, an one-man band from Netherlands which was formed in 2007, is one of those band which couldn’t offer or express what they wanted to.

“Eclipsed Sun Path” is the first full length album of the band and is divided in my mind in two parts: the part with the instrumental tracks, played in keyboard or in acoustic guitar, with ambient influences and the use of samples of rain or the street etc here and there. The second is the Black Metal part, slow until mid tempo tracks with simple compositions that reminded me of Countess but with the melancholy more intense and some keyboards in atmospheric parts.

The riffs are simple, without many changes during the track’s evolution and quite repetitive. The guitars can be heard very clearly and they are quite well played whereas the compositions aren’t anything so difficult. The bass is distinctive, it is low but it gives the depth needed to the tracks. The drums come from drum machine and they are very bad. It’s not only the bad fake sound but also their moderate programming that makes them so repetitive. The vocals are raw, very harsh, without expression, without passion and finally without having anything to offer to the tracks. The production is clean giving much attention to the guitar. All instruments can be heard, the bass with a little difficulty, and the vocals are in the correct level. In the edition that their label (Sun & Moon) sent me, there are no lyrics I just imagine that they must be oriented to melancholic or depressive paths.

I can’t say that “Eclipsed Sun Path” satisfied me and I don’t believe that it will satisfy anyone else. Really this band brought to my mind the term “bedroom bands”. It’s like the band recorded some tracks in their home just for them and they were released without the band’s approval. I don’t know if there is a possibility of improvement in the next album, in this one they haven’t done very good job. So I suggest you to avoid this album or at least listen to it before you buy.