Posted: 5/14/04

Beyond Surface were one of the winners of the Young Metal Gods competition, which was put together by Noise Records and seven European metal magazines. The group hails from Mainz, Germany, and Destination’s End is their debut album. Their gloomy, yet melodic, sound is very similar to that of Paradise Lost, and they could definitely break through in America, as they are rhythmically dark and contemporary, yet accessible. Choruses are clear (especially the hooky opener "From The Mountain"), yet the melancholy nature of the music yields a similar vibe from song to song. An interesting downtrodden take on Paul Young’s 80s hit "Come Back And Stay" closes the disc.

The Bloody Truth: I don’t think there’s anything extraordinary about Beyond Surface, as my standards for a ‘Metal God’ are a lot higher. However, fans of the darker or Goth side of today’s rock music should definitely find something to like about Beyond Surface.