CoC : Beyond Fear - Haunted by Visions of a Thrid Atrocity : Review

Beyond Fear - _Haunted by Visions of a Thrid Atrocity_
(Utopian, 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (7.5 out of 10)

Well, this wasn't quite what I expected. When it said "nearly 30 minutes" on the flyer I didn't expect only 3 tracks. Since Beyond Fear are brutal death, and don't use any orchestration/electronics etc., the length of these tracks is about 2 to 3 times the normal. Sufficed to say it makes for unusual listening. This is a posthumous release from Beyond Fear's last days back in 1996. As an MCD, _HbVoaTA_ is certainly very good value on account of its length, but the compositions are also pretty decent. Although Beyond Fear weren't really breaking any boundaries, recycled riffs are not the order of the day and, like any self-respecting brutal death band, Beyond Fear's technical ability is pretty impressive -- right up there with their stamina, if they ever played these songs live. Ultimately, this is one for brutal death fans: it is not an accessible record for trendies and even those who stop at Cannibal Corpse might find it a little harsh. Although _HbVoaTA_ is not in the league of the _De Profundis_s or _None So Vile_s of this world, this was Beyond Fear's first CD release and they definitely display the potential they would have needed to attain a higher level.

Contact: Utopian Productions, c/o J.D. Betts

(article published 7/6/1998)