Beriedir – Liminal Spaces
Release Date: 10th January 2024
Label: Rockshots Records
Order/Stream
Genre: Progressive Metal, Alternative Metal, Dark Melodic Metal.
FFO: Dark Water, Cloudscape, In Flames.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Beriedir is an Italian progressive metal band that is set to release its third full length on 10th of January. Entitled Liminal Spaces, the new album sees Beriedir move away from their power metal roots to create songs that incorporate dark melodic metal and the band’s typical clean vocals with death growls and angsty screams. Comprised of vocalist and keyboardist Stefano Nüsperli, guitarists Francesco Ideo and Simone Bacchi Mottin who also provides backup vocals, drummer Ciro Salvi, and bassist Daniele Cantaboni, Beriedir succeeds at reinventing itself and delivering an album that breaks them away from their previous two albums.
On Liminal Spaces, Beriedir plays a brand of dark melodic metal that is reminiscent of bands like Dark Water and Cloudscape. While they identify as progressive metal, don’t expect ten-minute songs filled with instrumental noodling. Instead, Beriedir plays tight songs where all the instruments play an equal role in the presentation of each track. In fact, the album features very few solos, which makes it very unique in the progressive metal realm. One exception to this is the track More than Starlight, which features a very tasty guitar solo that fits the song perfectly. The other couple solos that show up on the album do more to highlight the melody of the song than stand out. For a taste of what Beriedir has to offer this time around, lead singles Halo and Neon, the first and second tracks on the album, perfectly encapsulate what the band is bringing to the table on Liminal Spaces: moody, catchy songs with varied vocal deliveries.
Overall, Liminal Spaces is a solid entry into Beriedir’s discography. While I would like to have seen wider variety in the songs, not to mention a solo or two more here and there, the album goes down easily and is enjoyable for what it is.
(3 / 5)
