After seeing UK metallers BEHOLDER a few times this year, including their awesome performance at BLOODSTOCK, and multiple listens to their brilliant ‘Unleash The Hell’ EP, the wait is finally over for their much anticipated debut album, ‘The Awakening’. Well, was it worth the wait?! You bet your ass it was. This is an absolutely brilliant album from start to finish and has a fair bit of variety in the songs also, with the basis being an old school classic edge brought up to date with modern influences and techniques, which works fantastically well.

Opening track ‘Snake Eyes’ sets the standard for the rest of the album. With some great riffs, it is also fast, heavy and a headbangers delight, whilst ‘The Heretic’ shows off Simon Hall’s vocals which are full of emotion and help bring the songs more atmosphere and even to life on record, a trait that is constant throughout the entirety of the album.

‘Razorline (On The Edge of Insanity)’ picks the pace up and with its cracking riffs courtesy of the dual axe attack of Simon Cliffe and Martyn Blackwell, not only makes it a brilliant track, it’s a definite standout one too. Inspired by 300, ‘March of The Damned’ is definitely a track you just have headbang and pump your fists to, and more than worthy of your dedicated attention along with every other track on this album.

‘Born Into Pain’ is a slow building incrementing track which shows the talents off of Chris Bentley on drums, and shifts between melodic and more pacier brutal segments of this track with relative ease. As a laugh starts, the fast paced and also thrashy ‘KMA’ (short for Kiss My Ass) flies into gear and never relents its grasp – your head banging away until the very end!

Showing they also have a more mellow side to them, ‘The Brave Shall Fall’ is a really well constructed track and breaks up the pace ever so slightly, but because of the caliber of the track, it’s hardly noticeable as it flies by and you will find yourself playing it over again and again. Title track and first single, ‘The Awakening’, is made up of slower heavier sections with some crunching riffs that change pace back and forth when required to do so with so much ease which keeps the listener engrossed throughout.

‘Show No Mercy’ is an instant classic, simple as, and it works awesome in the live setting too. I would find it hard to believe that this number wouldn’t cause your head to start nodding in the slightest. The FEAR FACTORY-esque themed ‘Worm’ follows, and again this is another solidly written track which switches between choral and verse with relative ease. Along with the aforementioned ‘Show No Mercy’, this track is also quite damn catchy too which also helps it to stick in your head. The only member of the band I’ve failed to mention up until now is bassist Si Fielding, who does a wonderful job both on backing vocals and keeping things ticking over.

The final track on the album is also the slowest and most melodic. ‘Enemies of Reason’ is a beautifully constructed and flowing song, and it shows that Simon Hall can also produce a more soften approach along with his more aggressive and ferocious style shown in other tracks. To end on a melodic track can sometimes be risky, but there’s no risk here. It’s a great song to end a great album.

All in all, this is a truly superb album and it’s been a while since I have enjoyed an album from start to finish as much as this one. The quality of material is second to none, and the production is pretty good too. Everything is pretty crisp and clear from riffs to vocals to drums, and everything just fits nicely. So what are you doing still reading this?! Go out and buy it now!!! You won’t be disappointed! This is BEHOLDER and this is metal as it should be! Pure, Heavy, Powerful, Brutal and Rifftastic! Hats off to you guys!

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Review By Adam Fredericks

Make sure to check them out live either on their current tour now (click here for Dates), or on their upcoming UK tour in the New Year (Dates yet to be confirmed).