Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Something Beautiful Songs About Angels Company: Self-released Release: 2009 Genre: Progressive Reviewer: Raising Iron

A heart-filled and ambitious effort

For the fan of exorbitant, capricious, and progressive excess comes the latest album from Chicago's goth-stained metallers Something Beautiful christened, Songs About Angels. The epic indulgence has been increased ten-fold on this concept album revolving around a murderer, a priest and an angel(s) and their struggles with faith and redemption.

Concept album is of key-import here, as the twelve songs inscribed tend to run together into one large, storytelling song that bests the seventy-two minute mark; and that's with a song left off (due to the run-time restraints of cd's), which can be downloaded at the band's website. As well, these are all full-length compositions with virtually no repetition in choruses or riffs; unlike many concept albums which contain handfuls of tracks that are nothing more than quick interludes made up of instrumentals, samples, spoken parts, or other such transitional fare. Length aside, there is a solid, cohesive, and deliberate pace to the tale; the duo taking as much time as they wish to convey the drama herein. The best track - mainly due to its tight focus - is "Daughter of God", which is bookended by two tracks that'll have the listener immediately recalling NIN circa mid-90's, with their quiet, sampled, and increasingly layered rhythms accompanied by singer Dale Tippet's angst-ridden melancholy. Stylistically speaking, those who enjoy Everygrey's lofty, extensive, moody, and maudlin approach to songwriting will find comfort amidst these grooves.

Ultimately, Something Beautiful's Songs About Angels is a heart-filled and ambitious effort; sure to be redeeming for the patient listener.