BEYOND THE LABYRINTH

— First review of this album —

As may be surmised from the album title, the fifth album from Belgian prog band Beyond The Labyrinth was released at the end of 2021 to tie in with their 25th anniversary as a band. Although to be honest, that is something which is only technically correct as the band had a long period of not doing anything and only guitarist/composer Geert Fieuw has been there throughout, although drummer Michel Lodder has been there since their third album, 2011's, 'Chapter III ? Stories' (Michel has left the band since this release). They have also changed keyboard players since their last EP, and this slot is now taken by Eddy Scheire with the line-up completed by singer Filip Lemmens and bassist Dominic Heynderickx.

I initially came across the band at the time of the debut album all the way back in 2006 and I was intrigued as I was not aware of many Belgian bands playing good old fashioned neo prog. I note they are listed as prog metal on PA, but I don't remember them ever being heavy enough to fit that particular sub-genre, and this album sees them blurring the lines of prog rock and melodic rock, and coming up with something which is very middle of the road indeed. There is not enough excitement within this, and for me this is quite a step backwards since 2019's 'Brand New Start'. Geert is a fine guitarist, but although there are some interesting (dated) interplays with the keyboards (check out "Dedicated to Sir J. / Rush Rush Rush" which has elements which are very Uriah Heep in style) there is no spark. The result is something which is listenable while it is being played, but has little within it to pull it back on to the player for repeats. I have long been a fan of this band but cannot see me quickly returning to this.

One day I received a parcel of CDs from Freya, and I was looking through the wonderful packaging of the various True Music Guide releases and stopped when I got to this one. Here was a band I hadn't thought of in a while, yet I loved their early albums. A quick check of the personnel and I could see my old friend Geert Fieuw is still there, but he is the only one from the early days, although drummer Michel Lodder has been there since 2011's 'Chapter III ' Stories' and keyboard player Sjoerd Bruyneel was on the last album, 2017's 'The Art of Resilience', and they have been joined by bassist Wilfried Kiekens and new singer Filip Lemmens (ex-Double Diamond, ex Fireforce etc.).

Just four songs but the boys are very much back in town, and the 20 minutes just isn't long enough. Back in 2006 I said they reminded me of The Covenant, and that is still true but seeing as how few people will even know about that long- lost British band and their gorgeous album how about modern Uriah Heep as a starting point? A strong rhythm section provides the basis for the guitars and keyboards to drive along, and then on the top there are great vocals. This made me smile all the way through, as for me here is a band that had dropped off my radar yet are now back in spades. They are here to show they are back with a bang, and I defy any lover of melodic rock not to immediately join in singing on the opening title track. Beyond The Labyrinth are back, showing that Belgium has room for strong melodic progressive classic rock.

This has also been made available on Bandcamp, so why not search it out and give it a try? They are well-known in their own country, and have opened shows and played festivals with the likes of Y&T, Uriah Heep, Doro, Jon Oliva's Pain, Threshold, Riverside, Pagan's Mind (and more) as well as local mainstream heroes like De Kreuners & The Magical Flying Thunderbirds. It seems like the band has a new lease on life, and now is the time to discover them. Back in 2006 I ended my review by saying 'This is punchy radio friendly progressive classic rock that deserves to be heard by a much wider audience. It is a very accessible fun album and one that lovers of melodic rock would do well to investigate further - it really is a goody.' Only four songs this time, but the words still ring true. Belgium produces way more than just chocolate, discover Beyond The Labyrinth today.

Beyond the Labyrinth is one of the lesser known prog metal acts coming from Belgium. They released 3 albums since now that gone under the rader in prog circles. I reviewed the debut some years ago and I like what I've hered there so I decided to check the follow up. The follow up is named Castles in the send and was issued in 2008. Well, despitting some well executed instrumental parts , the overall album is usual stuff , at least for me, plus that the voice of Jo De Boeck doesn't add nothing new under the horizon in the overall sound. There are some great guitar chops and good keybords interluded, but is lacking in something to really grab this album a lot The forte pieces are Beyond The Labyrinth and the beautiful For Eternity with excellent keyboards. All in all decent , nothing more, and I think Castles in the sand is little less intresting then the debut. I should check their third one from 2011 to see how they manageing to evolve. 3 stars for me, ok but far from excellent.

I haven't come across a great many bands from Belgium, but I am really glad that I have come across this one as this is a fine debut. This is very approachable prog rock, but with the emphasis more on the melody and classic rock stylings as opposed to complicated complexity. In some ways they remind me of the long lost The Covenant, but with more keyboards. The vocals are powerful and much more in rock fashion as opposed to being anything extremely fancy. While the music is punchy and powerful it was the lyrics that caught my attention the first time that I played it. Guitarist and lyricist (and most of the music as well) Geert Fieuw has a way of grabbing attention on a myriad of subjects, whether it be about the first World War, media, or the story of a person who can see events in the future. But for me the highlight is "Freak Show" where fairground music and an announcer lead us into the music world as they see it "Moving on from town to town, Gotta get the message heard, Gotta keep the music going on, Won't you spread the word? They say we're out of format, they tell us that we don't belong, Insist that we are out of fashion, Gotta prove them wrong".

In an email, Geert told me the following: "The Visionary" is about Nostradamus and his '99 prediction of the eclipse, seen from his point of view. Obligatory, we read one of his quatrains at the end of the song. (How Cliché eh ?) But ... in "Icons", the same voice reads something too .. in the second verse we sing "collapsing towers, as foretold" .. and in the bridge the same voice reads out the so-called prediction for 9-11.. However .. that one is a hoax, it's not even a quatrain (3 phrases, not 4) .. So beware of double hidden meanings meant to set you on the wrong foot". This is punchy radio friendly progressive classic rock that deserves to be heard by a much wider audience. It is a very accessible fun album and one that lovers of melodic rock would do well to investigate further ? it really is a goody. www.beyond-the-labyrinth.com

Feedback #89, 2006

There are times when I feel guilty, and this is one of those as this album was released in 2008 yet it is towards the end of 2011 that I am writing about it. I can only apologise for tardiness and I am trying now to catch up on everything that I should have reviewed yonks ago. This was the follow-up to 'Signs', an album I really enjoyed, and yet again guitarist Geert Fieuw has delivered an extremely strong set of songs. The band is completed by Jo de Boeck (vocals), Genry Versteken (bass), Bruno Goedhuys (drums) and Danny Focke (keyboards) and they lay their wares clearly out for all to hear ? this is a band that enjoyed the Eighties and Nineties and saw no reason at all for their music to reflect anything else. Think Savatage, Uriah Heep and Queensryche with possibly some of their harder AOR cousins and you may get a feeling of what this is all about.

Yes, the band are not English or American (in fact they are Belgian) and it means that Jo has a slight accent but is that a problem? It may be for some but the last time I looked both Scorpions and Helloween were still managing to do very well for themselves, and so should these guys. During the lead up to this album they had toured in support to bands as diverse as Riverside, Jon Oliva's Pain, Doro and Sonata Arctica and I am sure that the metalheads and progheads all enjoyed these guys immensely. This is a powerful hard rock album with more than a nod to AOR and prog and one that all lovers of classic rock should get immediately.

Beyond the Labyrinth is a young flamand prog metal band from Belgium who has two albums in their pocket since now. Signs is their first one from 2005. It took me longer on this album than usual , because I can't decide if is a 3 or a 4 star album, maybe in the end is in between. I was very surprised to see that this album doesn't have any reviews yet. While is not among the top band in prog metal zone, they manage to create something intristing in this field. One of the bands that doesn't sound as DT , they are influenced by de melodic side of prog metal, sometimes they are toying with neo prog, the resoult is a pleasent album all the way, similar to Palace Terrace or even Red Sand. What struck me on this album at first, second , third and so on listings was the key passages made by Danny Focke, excellent arrangements who interlude superb with the rest of the bunch. As I said they play a melodic prog metal, very rare they top it with rougher sound, even some neo prog elemnts are here and there. Very good are also the guitar chops, very sure and very inventiv. What I don't really like is that the pieces, almost all of them are mid tempo, not a single one is more faster, not a bad thing after all, but in the end is kinda boring, I mean you can easely loose the core of the album because of that. So, overall a good album, pleasent all the way, with nice pieces flowing from mellow arrangements like Morning Rendezvous to a more rougher sound as Digital World, showing that they release a good debute , but not excellent. The rest of the pieces are ok, not a weak one, but nothing really groundbreaking either. I"m looking for their next album Castle in the sand, maybe this time they've done it. 3.5 is the fair rate.

Beyond The Labyrinth is essentially Geert Fieuw's band, or, more accurately, his life- work. He's laboured incredibly hard over the years to get BTL off the ground, so it must be a wonderful feeling for him to see the birth of their first (musical) baby, "Signs".

In the latest version of the band, the guitarist and main composer has surrounded himself with some superb musicians: Jo De Boeck on vocals, Danny Focke on keyboards, Bart Rokegem on bass, Filip Vinck on drums and the wonderful Frédérick Ost on guitars.

I had never heard a note from the band before receiving "Signs". I'd heard their music discussed, yes, so I expected something good, but never this. To be frank: this band has blown me away! What an incredible album from a virtually unknown band. And it's still growing every time I listen to it.

Beyond The Labyrinth stands for passionate music, with intelligent lyrics and excellent musicianship. It's a bit hard to categorize their music: progressive rock, with lots of classic and melodic rock influences and a metal edge (although it never gets really heavy). With this, they may not have chosen for the most marketable music; perhaps a bit too metal for prog rock purists, and metalheads might prefer their music somewhat more powerful. Still, no-one will deny that this is a fantastic effort, and fans of, say, Arena's more recent material, will no doubt appreciate this very much. I, for one, love this style.

Hard to pick favourites, as most songs are really of high quality. The opener, "Media Vision" sets the standard. Excellent song with a cool chorus. The next one, "In Flanders Fields" is a dark, moody piece about the horrors of war - truly a song that deserves some recognition. "Tomorrow Is Gone" is a melodic jewel that reminds me very much of one of my favourite bands, Praying Mantis, both musically and lyrically.

The compelling "Unholy War" is also great, as is the heavy "Digital World". "The Visionary", with its menacing intro (reminiscent of A.L. Webber's "Phantom Of The Opera"), is the epic of the album. "Prophet Of Doom" reminds me a bit of Tony Martin- era Black Sabbath or Savatage. Definite favourites are the melodic and moving "Icons" and "Freak Show", a quirky, playful rock song with a great chorus that keeps spinning in my head. In fact, only the ballad "Morning Rendezvous" is a bit sub-par; all the others make for a fantastic album.

The musicianship of all members is excellent. Singer Jo De Boeck may not have the greatest range, but his voice is solid and his singing is emotional and expressive. Frankly, a lot of much better known bands have to settle for less. Danny Focke's excellent keyboard work is very much upfront and has an important role in defining BTL's sound. The guitar solos are absolutely amazing. With Vinck and Rokegem, the band have a solid rhythm section. There are a couple of nice guests appearances as well, the most well-known being drummer Daniel Flores (Mind's Eye, XSavior), Marcel Coenen (Sun Caged) and last but not least Threshold's keyboard player Richard West.

"Signs" may not be my number one album of 2005, but it's definitely in my top 10 and without any doubt the most pleasant surprise of the year.

Buy this. Now. You won't regret it.