I’ve been trying for years to get into Be’lakor. A lot of friends and acquaintances liked to throw their name around as a solid recommendation for prog death. I just couldn’t buy into it for whatever reasons. I firmly believe that Coherence is the record which finally sold me on the band. Be’lakor amassed quite a following, with a steady fanbase growing alongside their increasing repertoire as such.
Coherence is their first record, which to me at least, shows a mature band which has a clear aim and vision, executed coherently. I will not excuse myself for that pun. Anyway, the first thing that drew me in was the production value. Which, on previous records seemed to be lacking in a lot of aspects. It either felt too raw, or too sterile, or something just wasn’t right. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s stellar, it’s definitely going in all the right directions and it’s more than solid for what is going on – at least as far as Coherence is concerned.
I’m also finally able to properly dip into the band’s musical ethos, which until now seemed very distant and unapproachable, due to the aforementioned and a variety of other reasons. Delving into Coherence, I’m really feeling the vibe they’re going for and it’s a cool thing to rummage around. The brooding, slightly epic, somewhat mysterious, and vaguely surreal atmosphere is quite neat and very fitting for the realm of progressively inclined death metal.
It took me a fair amount of time to really find the mood and the mindset to enter Coherence and strip it down in order to inspect it. I usually don’t find any difficulties in this part of the process, easily connecting with lots of different kinds of music. For whatever reason, it took a long time to be able to have the record open up to me and vice versa. It was a fairly rewarding experience too.
It was also a progressive deal, the whole ‘me connecting with it’ schtick. I slowly warmed up to it, taking details apart and shifting perspectives, repeating listens and so on. Eventually it was all a clear picture in my head and it fully crystallized as it should have from the start. It only took a couple of dozen spins hahaha.
I would also argue that it’s fruitless to take it track by track or to only partially take the trip which Coherence is. It’s definitely one of those albums that you really need to give proper listens from front to back without interruptions, with an intent focus on the narrative and everything else that unfurls throughout.
One of my absolutely favorite moments on the record is easily “Locus”, the opening track. I’m also heavily partial towards the closer, “Much More Was Lost”, in the sense that it resonates well with me. It would be rather superfluous to give a detailed account on the tracks, as words can’t really encompass the emotional charge which is at play. Parts like the mid-section in “Hidden Window” were also a very tasty treat for me.
I’d say that Coherence isn’t necessarily one of those records which attempts the traditional metal route of impressing its listeners via technical prowess or wild compositional artifices, but rather through the medium of atmosphere and immersive moods. I really like this post-rock/post-metal reminiscent delivery and aesthetic. I’d say it works quite well and it makes for a more engaging journey overall.
Anyway, if you’re a fan of the band, you’ll definitely love this, and if you aren’t, you should definitely check the record out. It’s got something sweet going on for it and it’s worth at least a listen if you’re into metal of any kind.
