The debut release from American melodic death metal band Beyond the Embrace holds no surprises for anyone with even a fleeting knowledge of the genre basics, taking most of its cues from mid-nineties In Flames ('The Jester Race' and 'Whoracle' albums) but with more dominant sung vocals that are uncharacteristically impressive for a death metal vocalist. While it's a little disappointing that this band isn't striving to push the boundaries of melodic death in the way of some of their American contemporaries such as Arsis, there's something to be said for keeping the now-classic traditional spirit alive, especially in the face of this decade's metalcore trends that have ...  Read the complete review