| Musical Style: Hard Rock | Produced By: Rildo Vellosa & Belica |
| Record Label: Megahard | Country Of Origin: Brazil |
| Year Released: 2002 | Artist Website: |
| Tracks: 12 | Rating: 75% |
| Running Time: 65:53 |
The 2002 Megahard Records Belica sophomore release For All isn’t the best album to come out of the turn of the century Christian metal scene, but it might have what you are looking for. Unlike many contemporaries from the region, the Londrina, Paraná based six-piece eschews much of the power and progressive metal common to the time for a groundwork of seventies influenced straightforward hard rock and classic rock. Such musical designation requires a befitting vocalist and such is the case with front man D’Tarso, whose middle register style marked by heartfelt soul and grit contrasts with the high-end, classic tenor proclivity prevalent of the period. Thus, credit Belica for a uniqueness allowing it to separate from contemporaries that in certain (but not all) instances end up cast from too much of a similar sounding mold.
With Belica leaving little doubt as to its ability to march to the beat of its own drum, question revolves around quality to the music. Repeat listen reveals the For All material in my opinion to walk a fine line between above average and very good but that is not the point. Rather, issue is there is too much here in that while track listing is reasonable at twelve songs, time to individual tracks is excessive in that five are greater than six minutes and four others exceed five. This might sound odd coming from a self-professed mega-epic-progressive connoisseur, but sometimes less is more. Point I am hitting home is that perhaps For All might be a more efficient listen if Belica had cut a couple songs or at the very least reduced the span to several others.
Belica got its start in the late nineties under the moniker Völlig Heilig, which is German for ‘absolutely holy’. The group released a pair of demos in 1997 (Live In Londrina and Völlig Heilig) ahead of recording the following year a five song EP entitled Power Of God. Völlig Heilig put out its debut full length Looking For The Light in 2000 prior to changing its name to Belica and rereleasing Looking For The Light under the Belica heading.
Time to individual tracks aside, there is some quality material here beginning with opener “Life’s Victory. Song charges out of the gate at a near speed-based tempo, keyed up as rabid guitar launches to the forefront and vocals dig and bite in gutsy fashion. A contrastingly reserved aspect reveals in form of satiny vocal harmonies adorning the sinuous refrain. This is one of the few tracks highlighting the Belica power metal side. Lyric snippet:
Evil empire has been doomed
For its own harm
Life just can’t be held back by death
Evil is planned against life
God’s name becomes our purpose
Justice and tenderness have prevailed
So that, I tell you: beauty found in the light has faded evil darkness away
“Mistake” is a low-end, groove driven monster. With Cezar Augustus’ humming bass leading the way, song crunches with tough-minded authority in exuding bare bones energy and down to earthy bluesy sentiments. Keyboards also play a role, ranging from backend angelic to piano dueling with lead guitar instrumentally.
First of albums two six minute cuts ensues in “Serpent Of Bronze”, at times fusion based with its generous instrumental portions and others laid back and reserved in playing up a compact resolve, and “Little London”, a mellower piece awash in classic rock and AOR vestiges with recurring funk based guitars and sleek keyboards. The two prove the guitar team of Luciano Novi and Edson Boleti own no small ability.
Subsequent cut “Give Me Strength” is albums shortest at just under four minutes. It approaches from a quality ballad standpoint, genially drifting through its graceful keyboard laced verse sections only to upraise as rhythm guitar cuts in to gird the terse refrain repeating songs title in brusque fashion. Extended instrumental run featuring guitar and keyboard solos highlights a jazzy edge. Lyric snippet:
Sometimes nothing makes sense
The sky doesn’t seem to be blue
And the sun doesn’t seem to shine
I feel loneliness
I become desperate
I pray and I cry
I know that this will change
God give me strength, I need you
“Fire” is of similar span but takes a musical stance in line with its namesake. What we have is seventies style hard rock, freight train-like with its rambunctious mentality to see a chaotic low end (noting Dany Martins’ intense timekeeping), reverberant Hammond B3 and sandblasting guitars team up. The distorted guitar leads almost bring a doom-ish nuance- Belica is not shy about its instrumental sound. Lyric snippet:
Oh God! Am I wondering?
No, please, no! I’d rather be a dreamer
Than bear men’s bare reality
All harm has got to be destroyed by fire
Am I crazy? Am I an idealist?
Hatred, prejudice, war
That’s all madness, which has got to burn
To burn, to burn
“God Is The Heart Of The World” is first of two songs in which I pass. What we have is an assured Hammond B3 driven melodic hard rocker that while far from bad, leaves a monotonous impression from the repetitious manner in which its refrain repeats over and again nonstop. Later in the track listing, but I also skip “Fight Girl”, one of albums heaviest with its speed based bent, but a lack of catchy hooks also stands in the way of sticking with me long term.
Six and half-minute “Insane” is one of this reviewer’s favorites. It proves a dominant cruncher, festive with its masterful riffing and demolishing tempo but also arresting in terms of the inviting hooks to persuade with reiteration. Of similar span is “Confession”, a semi-ballad lightened by piano its first two minutes ahead of picking up pace as a melodic rocker with a mirthful pop basis. Each song is a virtual jam session, with former home to a bluesy mid-point instrumental break and an ethereal run over the final minute and half and latter a two-minute jazzy interlude with fusion like soloing.
“Full Salvation” is albums final six minute cut. It is a good one, with a doom-like touch to see hulking bass, classical keyboards and ominous guitar coalesce. My favorite part is the creative mid-point when initiative slows to a crawl for Gregorian like choral vocals. This one proves there is m ore to Belica than hard rock and classic rock. Lyric snippet:
Full salvation to the souls
Forevermore since now
Never more stopping being the goal
So don’t fail to answer the call
Lord, You called me
You screamed to me
Until you broke my deafness
You filled me with your brilliance
Closing cut “The Power Of God” builds upon the slower themes. It echoes of the suspenseful as moody keyboards and darkened overtures propel the steady as it gets tempo but not without shining from the euphonic hooks to burst forth. Riffs almost bring a militant feel. Lyric snippet:
He comes over the clouds
Thunder announces Him
Breaking the self proud
And removing every sin
Abyss lifts up its hands to the Creator
In front of Him trembles the mountains
Power of God, force of victory
For All is one of those albums that goes on and on and never seems to end. It is not that the music is bad - again, I rate songwriting in the above average to very good range - but there is potentially too much here with a track time in excess of 60 minutes and songs commonly in the five to six minute range. Perhaps the group could have cut a song or two to make the album easier to digest. That said there is also a lot to like with For All in that Belica exhibits a clever instrumental proclivity not to mention a flattering seventies hard rock touch during an era in which many contemporaries were going the power/progressive metal route. If a fan of the Brazilian hard music scene and interested in something a bit outside the box, For All might be what you are looking for.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: "Life’s Victory" (5:09), "Mistake" (5:41), "Serpent Of Bronze" (5:59), "Little London" (6:27), "Give Me Strength" (3:58), "Fire" (3:51), "God Is The Heart Of The World" (5:20), "Insane" (6:41), "Full Salvation" (6:07), "Confession" (6:41), "Fight Girl" (5:12), "The Power Of God" (4:41)
Musicians
D’Tarso - Lead Vocals
Luciano Novi - Guitars
Edson Boleti - Guitars
Karl Ellwein - Keyboards
Cezar Augustus - Bass
Dany Martins - Drums
