Search - Bella Morte :: Beautiful Death

Beautiful Death - The Definitive Album of Bella Morte

Rodney A. Wilder | Tualatin, OR USA | 10/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As is the case for many fans of Bella Morte, I have been following them since particular tracks from "Remains" made it to nondescript corners of the internet and waited like shining gems. Like shining gems wreathed in aeon-old cobwebs and aglow by dancing candlelight. "Funeral Night", "One Winter's Night", "Nevere" - these are songs that immediately captivated me with their fantastic collision of the dark, fear, and a love boundless. As a long-time fan of Edgar Allan Poe, these songs spoke to me on a level at that time untouched by any musical outlet or collective. I needed no further persuading. Bella Morte was forever tattooed upon me (not literally).



Fast forward 11 years. I am still as impassioned about Bella Morte as I was in those initial moments of awe that came with those now-elusive tracks. I even have a part of me forever dedicated to the band; Bella Morte is still forever tattooed upon me (and now it's literal). Thus my excitement concerning the new release, "Beautiful Death". My dance macabre with this newest album has been carrying on since long before it's actual release. Being fortunate enough to have seen Bella Morte in concert twice in the same few months, I got a small glimpse at what the new album had to offer, hearing "In the Dirt" and "Eternal" in concert. Not that I had any doubts about the new material, but these songs arose in this listener both a sense of unity, of fear, and of that dark so familiar to me as a Bella Morte fan. I only had to bide my time until the actual release, satisfying myself on youtube's live videos of the new material.



Fast forward a few more months to the present. The album is out and it is fantastic! As a listener who has been following BM since the early days, completely enamoured with the musical proclivities, lyrical themes, and vocal capabilities that the band displayed, I can say that 11 years later, this new album is in no way a disappointment. Andy Deane (the vocalist and lyricist) shows that he is still fully capable of spinning haunting narratives with songs like "In the Dirt" and "Eternal", and vocally his performance is astounding. Already a singer well-capable of evoking emotion from any listener, "Burn the Sky" and others show how he really has expanded his range, style, and capabilities. Micah Consylman rises supernally above expectations with both the engineering of the album and with the synths he provided. Songs like "Burn the Sky", "Buried Within", and "Nine Hours" show the versatility of this truly invaluable part of the band. The guitar work by Tony Lechmanski also has a great range, from the foundation-driving, dirge-like riffs in "Fade Like A Song" to some very colorful solos in songs like "One Thousand Days" and "Black Seas Collide", and the same can be said of Tony Pugh with his bass playing, the foundation present through the entire album. Drums being programmed as opposed to actually played, that in no way detracts from the overall product. The drums are still strong as ever (and sound convincingly realistic). As a band that began with programmed drums, this aspect could not possibly disappoint this listener. Live drummer or machine, the drums will always provide what's needed and sound amazing doing it.



Yes, "Beautiful Death" is a masterpiece. All that Bella Morte has come to represent is present. Who they were, who they are, and who they are appearing to be - this album enwraps all the sentiments and all the tendencies loved by Bella Morte fans, and it also includes so much more. If you don't have it, get it! That's all there is to it."

Bella Morte's self titled album shines

EerieVonEvil | The Rabbit Hole | 10/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It has been a long journey for this do-it-yourself band. I have been a fan since I heard Funeral Night on the Unquiet Grave compilation back in 1998. I have followed BM from their straight-up goth days (Remains/Where Shadows Lie) to their Death Rock/electronic days (The Quiet/As The Reasons Die), and their diverse masterpiece Bleed The Grey Skies Black. With Beautiful Death, Bella Morte dares to be mainstream, and not only suceeds, but makes all the boring identical major label bands sound even more forgettable than they were to begin with. Andy Deane has always been a great singer, but on Beautiful Death his range has truly expanded. His style will always be goth, but he has a great pop sensibility on this record. Synth player Micah Consylman engineered the whole album himself and his synth work on the album is very cutting edge, while still maintaining a great retro feel. The songs on Beautiful Death are short and to the point. All of BM's past styles are here rolled into one. Burn The Sky, Eternal, and Black Seas Collide are great dramatic rockers, while Can't Let This die has the hard riffs recognizable from Bleed The grey Skies Black. Their drummer Jordan left before this album was made so most of the drums on this album are programmed again, but it sounds perfect. Find Forever Gone, the obvious single is a great track with awesome synth. The album ends with Nine Hours, an instrumental piano ballad reminding everyone that Bella Morte will always have their roots in goth. If you get a chance to see them live dont miss out. They put all their blood, sweat, and heart into what they do. I saw them in Seattle this year and they wasted no time setting up and then rocking out. Andy Deane is one of the nicest frontmen you'll ever meet. Beautiful Death is an achievement that I hope will bring this band to nationwide attention. They deserve it.



Quality release



PS: Co-founder and original bass player Gopal Metro left the band last year and was replaced by Tony Pugh"

Bella's best

Ross Campbell | Rochester, NY | 10/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bella Morte's newest, the quasi-eponymous Beautiful Death, is pretty amazing. it's still Bella despite Gopal Metro's absence and now former drummer Jordan Marchini being missing, but it's also kind of strangely different in a way i can't put my finger on, which is good. the new album's sound kind of goes back to Remains and Where Shadows Lie when the band's stuff was more homogeneous and less eclectic like their last few albums were, while still moving forward into new territory and improvement. and like the early stuff, Beautiful Remains is darker than the last couple albums, pushing the heaviness of Songs for the Dead and much of Bleed the Grey Sky Black. all the songs are super solid, they all feel satisfyingly dense, i think In The Dirt and Buried Within are my new favorites.



Beautiful Death is definitely Bella Morte's best stuff, and it gets better and better with every listen. before this, whenever i'd encounter somebody not familiar with Bella Morte, i was never certain of what album to introduce them to first, since every one is great and yet so different, it was impossible for me to choose a good entry point besides starting at the beginning with Remains (or a mix CD, hehheh). but now, Beautiful Death is the one i'll be recommending for new folks to get into."