The Ultimate Review of Beyond Hell /...

Volbeat is a very underrated band, and it took them a very long time before they had any commercial success. The first three albums dropped, and they had little commercial success until this album dropped, with the singles "A Warriors Call" and "Heaven Nor Hell". The follow up album, "Outlaw Gentleman and Shady Ladies" helped to bring them success as well. Overall, I would not consider this band metal, just a hard rock band with a lot of metal influence. However they can certainly fit in with the metal genre just because they still have a heavy metal sound to them. They also sometimes add a bit of a country sounding twist, giving the listener a bit of a surprise, as they are a hard rock band.

This album in particular is one of the best that the band has released, with its massive variety of sound, using less heavy, melodic tunes to hard, heavy, and distorted songs. Regardless of which route the song may go, they are all catchy and carry a rhythmic beat in every note. This can be heard in the more melodic, "happy sounding" track entitled "Heaven Nor Hell". This one uses a very major sounding tone, as well as adding that country element that I mentioned with the addition of a harmonica throughout the song, especially at the very beginning. Few bands can pull off that heavy sound with a country influence, but this band nails it perfectly. On the contrary, a heavier track "Who They Are" takes the opposite route, with a more solid, thick, and fast tempo, as well as a minor sound to it. Although it is very different in structure compared to the last one, it is still a very catchy tune, as it carries a great beat and draws the listener in. The sound of it just makes one want to jam out really hard, and if in the car, drive very fast.

The exit of this album is one of the greatest ways to end an album, because it leaves you on a very friendly note. In some cases, perhaps you would want the opposite, perhaps with a Slayer or Overkill album. But if you're looking for a happy ending, this is the perfect pick. The second to last track is called "Being 1", which is a very soft, melodic song using an acoustic guitar, and it has a very positive and unique sound. It gives the listener a sense of happiness, with that same fast paced tempo that keeps you listening and wanting to jam. It's one of those ones that you would listen to, and think "damn, I definitely need to remember that one", so you'd look at the back of the CD and be sure to remember that damn song. This song is the one that sticks out the most. The actual last song, "Thanks", takes a very similar route, however it is not acoustic, and has a little something else special to it. It's basically a shout out song to the fans, thanking them for all of the support that they have given them over the years, and getting them on the mainstream market. Because like I said, this album is what really did it for Volbeat. So this song basically gives you another blast of feel good, appreciation to the fan, outro to follow up "Being 1". Some versions of this album may also include one more song after this, "Still Counting". That is just a re-release of a single from the previous Volbeat record, "Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood". For some reason, some copies just added that for shits and giggles i guess. If your album ends with that, then, well, I guess you'll have a bit more of a heavy outro than the actual ending of the album.

One thing that definitely needs to be pointed out about "Beyond Hell / Above Heaven", is the fact that there are multiple featured artists on this one. The first one that I noticed was on "7 Shots". This most obvious feature in this song is the lead vocalist of Kreator, Millie Petrozza. He makes a guest appearance singing on this, which was a surprise to me the first time I listened to this. I recognized the voice immediately, as I am a fan of Kreator. I looked in the notes to be sure, and I was correct. Another one that stands out is the feature on "Evelyn". This song features Mark Greenway of Napalm Death. This was also a shock, because that man does completely harsh vocals, which does not fit with Volbeat at all, since all of Volbeat's vocals are very clean.

As being a nearly perfect album, it still has it's one flaw, and that is the feature of Napalm Death. Volbeat is in no way meant for harsh vocals, and this was a bad idea all over. Other than that, there isn't a thing wrong with it. Everything else flows perfectly, the songs are catchy, whether they be fast and energetic, deep and heavy, or melodic and soft. The lyrics are also very well written, and some have powerful meanings, and I could recommend this beautiful work of art to anyone who listens to rock or metal alike, because it fits in with both of them so well.
Final Score: 89 / 100