Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Allure about this disc..., May 5, 2005
I'm under the distinct impression that Christian hardcore from the south can do no wrong. Every band I've ever heard that is associated with Beloved, in anyway, has just rocked out. The first tour (and last tour) I ever saw them play on was with Dead Poetic, Underoath and Norma Jean. (the tour after that which I missed included Between the Buried and Me) Now that is some company!
When Beloved played there final show in Salem-Winston I saw them with Glass Casket, Classic Case, Underoath and members of Norma Jean-- this band has done so much in the five years of their existence and, when you listen to this album you understand. Everyone respects them and to understand why, you need to truly give them your ear.
"Failure on My Lips" (not only the first track on the CD but also the title track) opens in a similar way that _The Running_ EP does... not the same notes or anything, just the sense of urgency that you can hear in the chords and progressions. The song is summed up by one line, "Choking on all of the feelings that I'm swallowing in..." This song "runs" much like that EP, keeping you moving and guessing, searching for what Beloved are talking about until the song swells and drummer Joe Musten comes in growling overtop of distorted chords. Go to minute 3:09 of this track and you hear what makes Beloved the band they are, 3 distinct guitar parts creating an environment of beauty and aggression.
The three pronged guitar attack isn't over done on this album, it's a necessity. One guitar playing lead lines, one playing staccato rhythms and the other playing atmospheric sounds to fill the space. This album, from the get go, proves that is not just another "grab ass hardcore band" trying to make it big on the sudden explosion of popularity. These boys from NC combine the unadulterated aggression of hardcore with a softer, gentler atmospheric approach that this reviewer would find more akin to a band like The Cave In or even think Hopesfall _Satellite Years_ (when they were still making genuine music) during the spacey parts.
Lead singer Josh Moore doubles as clean vocals and back-up screams while Joe (drummer) does most of the lead screams. Each member of the band are top notch musicians though I have to point out that Joe Musten might be the best drummer in melodic hardcore right now if not only for his sense of taste and purpose-- he plays exactly what needs to be played.
Each song on Beloved's first and only LP flow into each other like a well told story. Some people might say that the specific flow isn't strong song writing as much as it may be all the songs sounding alike. I disagree with that statement and ask anyone who enjoys this style to listen with an open mind and tell me these songs are not unique pieces of music put together so perfectly with a flow so seamless that you are lost until, suddenly, the album is over.
This band wears their Christianity on there sleeves but think not of this as some religious doctrine as much as it is as a clear sense of purpose and direction. Beloved are normal guys dealing with doubt, love, and loss like everyone else and its most obvious on tracks like "Allure" and "Rise and Fall" where lyrics like "I'll carry this burden of memory..." and "A name that lingers on a blank face/ Can never fill a heart that's sinking fast/ and hurting to feel."
If you are a fan of melodic hardcore with a unique sensibility, this band is for you. If you are a fan of music in general and can deal with the growling of hardcore music, I challenge you to give this band a listen and let them grow on you... as they have on this writer.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How Melodic Hardcore Should Be Done, December 19, 2005
Let's face it, in today's world there are far too many melodic hardcore bands who are all doing similar things and all sounding more or less the same. However there were a few distinct bands that understood the key to becoming a true standout in the melodic hardcore genre. Beloved was one of those bands. Search your entire hardcore or metal collection. Search the internet over, but I guarantee you will never find another band that sounds like Beloved, because the key was Beloved did not try to sound like anyone else. Everything about Beloved's "Failure On", their only full length, is absolutely beautiful. There are countless numbers of innovations that could be cited from this album, although only upon listening to this wonderful masterpiece will you ever understand how truly different this is from most of the hardcore that was released during its time. "Failure On" was, and still is, one of the most essential melodic hardcore recordings to have ever been released, and despite the fact that Beloved is no longer together, nothing about the record or its beauty has changed.
In 2003 melodic hardcore was booming. Hot off the recent success of bands like From Autumn To Ashes, Atreyu and Poison The Well, hundreds of imitators were springing up everywhere trying to emulate the sound that had become so popular in the scene at the time. When "Failure On" came along it was distinctly different from any of the other records in its time, yet there was something strikingly hardcore about it. Where others would simply take the style that bands like PTW and FATA had made popular and simply tweek it or add slightly different elements, Beloved went in with their own ideas and thoughts of how the music should be played, and with "Failure On" that came to its zenith.
From the beginning of their career Beloved had always been a band more focused on melody than crushing brutality. Yet if someone were to listen to a track like "Death From Decay" or "Inner Pattern", you wouldn't initially think that. Joshua Moore can easily stretch his vocals to churn out angelic harmonies, and then seconds later guttural screams. This juxtapose of vocal styles might not be the most original, but very few vocalists are capable of trading off between singing and screaming in such an extraordinary fashion (the only others I can think of are Jesse Leach formerly of Killswitch Engage and Jeff Moreira of Poison The Well). The most important thing is that you never feel like the screaming or singing is forced, it all just flows naturally. Musically Beloved had a way of combining melodic passages with heavily saturated brutality that few bands possess. I've never really been a fan of the three guitar attack. In most bands it just seems so useless because the third guitar player more or less serves as simply a second rhythm guitarist which is about as necessary as a cowbell or other obscene instrument. However Beloved incorporating the the third guitar in an essential manner, as all three of the guitarists (Joshua Moore, Dusty Redmon, Matt Harrison) make every note they play on their fretboards count. Combined with the outstanding rhythm section of Johnny Smrdel on bass Joe Musten on drums, and you already have a formula for success. Like I said very few bands have ever shown the ability to harness both serenity and rage the way that Beloved did.
"Failure On" is also an album which has no weak points. From start to finish this record is one that can't be turned off very easily. Looking for heavy material? Check the aforementioned "Death From Decay" or "Inner Pattern". Fan of more melody filled passages? Then "Only Our Faces Hide" and "Death To Traitors" will be right up your alley. However despite offering all ends of the spectrum, Beloved are at their best when they are effortlessly drifting in and out of melody and madness as displayed on songs like "Failure On My Lips" and "Watching The Lines Blur". Devastating breakdowns instantly become emotionally charged choruses and vice versa on these stellar pieces. Really the whole album itself is 10 excellent songs, and I hate to single any out. The remaining songs are just as worthy of your time as any of the listed tracks, so if you find favor in one, you're going to love this entire cd.
Unfortunately Beloved is no longer together. However the music they left behind still continues to influence many of the more melodic bands in the hardcore scene today. Screamo and other emo related genres with hardcore touches especially owe "Failure On" a lot of thanks because Beloved paved the way for more melodic acts to be accepted into the hardcore scene. "Failure On" is an album that you will only fully appreciate and realize its greatness after listening. There is honestly not one thing about this album that I would change. Although Beloved may no longer be making music, they left behind three incredible pieces of work that are still among my favorite albums. If you happened to have not listened to their E.P's "The Running" and "... And So It Goes" I would highly recommend those as well. There was no failure whatsoever associated with this release; this is indeed a classic and a staple for all melodic hardcore.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definately not a failure, May 8, 2005
Beloved was a passionate, melodic, yet hardcore band that would have made a huge impact in music. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end but their music lives on - especially on this excellent album. Not only is it one of my favorites, it's the type of album that you can listen to from beginning to end without skipping a track. You can consider it screamo and if you like bands such as From Autumn to Ashes, you definately would like this band.
"If we live in hearts we leave behind, then we will never die"
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