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Not knowing what to expect from this band, I chose to review their new album for our site. As a very pleasant unexpected flash of lighting this album hit me. This band from 'Down Under' was new for me and I was very surprised that I didn't know them. Listening to the album you should not expect that this is only their second one. They sound as a very experienced combo that knows their customers. Of course I took the opportunity to interview one of the members to know more about them and the new album 'Stone's Reach'. Could you please introduce the band to our readers? Steve Merry: Sure. We are Be'lakor, and we're based in Melbourne, Australia. We formed in late 2004, released our first album (The Frail Tide) in 2007, and our second album (Stone's Reach) in 2009. Essentially we are a melodic death metal band, however some fans and reviewers have suggested that we also have doom and progressive elements in our music. We consist of five members - me (Steve Merry, keyboards/piano), George Kosmas (vocals/guitar), Shaun Sykes (guitar), John Richardson (bass) and Jimmy Vanden Broeck (drums). What is in your opinion the biggest difference between 'The Frail Tide' your debut and your new album 'Stone's Reach'? Steve: We feel that Stone's Reach is quite a different album to The Frail Tide, in many ways. From a songwriter's perspective I can tell you that it is more sophisticated and more carefully assembled. Many of the riffs are also more technical. The Frail Tide was our first album, and for obvious reasons it was crude in some respects. We were a lot less mature (musically) back then and much more eager to just get our music out there quickly. For these reasons, Stone's Reach might be a tad less 'catchy' than The Frail Tide - its melodies are generally not as simple and accessible. But it has a lot more depth, and I think it has many more spins in it than The Frail Tide. I think it rewards the more careful listener. Of course, as to which album is "better" - that's entirely subjective! As to other differences, the production is of a much higher standard on Stone's Reach, mainly because we recorded the whole album in a studio (The Frail Tide was essentially recorded in a bedroom with only the drums and bass tracked in a studio). When it came time to begin recording the new album, we were much better prepared, because we knew what to expect. For that reason, things ran more smoothly. How is the writing process for a Be'lakor song? Steve: All of the members contribute riffs and ideas, with some members providing more than others, of course. Our song writing process is careful and thorough - we go through riffs and sections as a group, deciding which ones are worth using, and then slowly piece them together, often changing the key, time signature and tempo, and adding harmonies. We sometimes dismantle what we have done and start again if we're not happy with how it sounds and flows. We always write the music first, and then write the lyrics at the end. Sometimes the lyrics are written specifically with the song in mind, but other times we write a poem of sorts, and then decide how best to place it over the music. Both ways work well, with each producing different results. For me, song writing is the most enjoyable aspect of being in a band. In my opinion Opeth must be a big influence or inspiration for the band, but what other bands is Be'lakor influenced by? Steve: Within the band we have quite a wide range of influences. But it really differs from member to member. I know that George loves bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Queen, all of which I think manifest themselves in what he writes. He also listens to Cannibal Corpse, Emperor, Nile, Burzum... the list goes on. I like melodic metal such as Agalloch, Enslaved, Opeth, and also a lot of folk stuff - particularly Celtic music. You're correct that Opeth (especially Morningrise/My Arms, Your Hearse era) are quite a strong influence, particularly in terms of the song structures and their taste for longer songs. Who is responsible for the beautiful melodies in the songs? Steve: Myself and George provide quite a few of the melodies, but the interesting thing is that when the band comes together, these melodies are often re-shaped and adjusted. So, whilst individual members might begin the creative process, it almost always ends collaboratively. Further, we rely heavily on John to introduce interesting bass lines and chords which will complement the melodies in the best way possible. Shaun provides melodies at times but he is also a master at finding unique and beautiful harmonies, and of course, the odd solo! The serene quieter parts fit in perfectly with the heavy and harsh singing parts, how does the band do this? Steve: I suppose we just make sure that we don't rush things when we write the songs. As I mentioned earlier, we are always willing to change a song, and never call it 'finished' until we are completely happy with the way that it flows. When you reach the right balance you can just feel it, so you need to be patient. Is there a lyrical concept? Steve: Only very broadly speaking. We tend to write on topics such as nature, struggle, the acceptance of death as part of life, and so on. We usually like our lyrics to tell a story, rather than to put forward a particular point of view. George sometimes takes lyrical inspiration from mythology when he writes lyrics, with his Greek background adding to this on occasion. A nice album-cover, what does the band want to express with it? Steve: We really wanted an album cover which would be immediately striking, and very memorable. It also needed to relate to the 'Stone' theme somehow. We loved the image because it has a kind of harsh beauty to it - there is a look of resignation and regret in the face of the statue, yet it also represents triumph. It just seemed to fit perfectly with everything that Stone's Reach was to us. We were very grateful that the Italian photographer, Gianfrancesco A, gave us his permission to use the photograph. What is the status in Australia for a band like Be'lakor, are you popular? Steve: We are slowly becoming more popular within Australia's metal community. There are still many Australian metal bands who are more well-known in our country, such as Alchemist, Virgin Black, Psycroptic and The Berzerker. It is not something that can be rushed or forced - we understand that these things take time. Still, we have a strong following in our home city of Melbourne, and fans in all of Australia's main cities. However, it does seem at times that we might have more fans in Europe than we do in our home country! It must be very difficult for you to play outside 'down under', unless you pay the trip to Europe yourself. Are there any plans in playing outside your own country? Steve: Yes, there are, for sure. But you are right - it will cost us a lot of money when we do it. I hope to tour Europe sometime in late 2010 or during 2011. It will be an exciting and important step for Be'lakor, and one that we're very keen to make sure that we embark on. Your album is released by Kolony records, with all respect to Kolony, but wasn't there a 'bigger' label interested in such a good album? Steve: It seems that there was not! I guess many of the bigger labels do 'know' about us now, but perhaps they want to see or hear more from us before they take that step. Again, we understand that there is a process for everything - you can't just expect to have huge labels knocking on your door. We're extremely happy to have found Kolony, and we appreciate everything they have done, and continue to do, for Be'lakor in Europe. I actually think that Kolony is building a very good roster of bands and releases, and there's no doubt that they are a hard-working and extremely professional label. So, perhaps one day soon you might even view Kolony as one of the big labels! We are at the end of another year, what were in your opinion the 5 best albums? Steve: I really don�t know! I spent most of this year listening to albums that were released some time ago- albums such as Enslaved's Isa and Arcturus' The Sham Mirrors seemed to be the main musical diet for me lately. I don't want to sound like I am ignoring modern metal or anything, but that's just the way things have gone for me this year, for some reason! But I do know that many fans have been saying that 2009 was a great year for metal releases. Anything else you want to share with our readers? Steve: I guess I would just like to say a very big thanks for your support! If some of the readers out there have never heard of us, firstly, well done for reading to the end, and secondly, please do check out our music and see what you think. Cheers! \m/ Thank you for answering the questions and have a nice summer! Here in Holland we have to dig snow! Steve: Haha, yes, we are just getting ready for some extremely hot days here in Melbourne. We'll be sweating in our rehearsal studio, which becomes like an oven during summer. Enjoy the snow! Interviewed by Reinier de Vries | 
