BEJELIT – You Die And I…

For ten years, the Italian Power Metal band, Bejelit, has been showing off their admiration for 80’s and 90’s Heavy/Power Metal. Their fondness of Iron Maiden, Iced Earth and Blind Guardian caused them to reinvent their style. Using the catchier side of the sub-genre while inducing it with darker themes, the band adjusted its releases, also their current new You Die And I…, into something more than just your average Power album.

Depending on a number of legendary stories, including several indications to H.P Lovecraft’s classics, You Die And I… crossed the line of the highly expected Euro-Power Metal into a somewhat weird spawn that is practically related to a rather darker and Gothic like release.

Featured on the release, as in the past, is Bejelit’s priceless possession, which is one of the band’s founders, vocalist Fabio Privitera. While mentioning veteran vocalists such as Peavey Wagner of Rage, Privitera is a creative performer with a gathering of vocal lines, which accelerated his performance on this album. Besides the melodic rhythms (electric and acoustic), enchanting solos and wonderful keyboards, Privitera is You Die And I… as the band follows his paces.

You Die And I… presents Bejelit as a mature band that will eventually evolve into something greater. However, when it comes to You Die And I…, this band should have considered working with a different production crew/producer. The album’s inconsistent production plainly tortures the fine material they recorded. Although the production sounds and feels like an 80’s work, with vocals on top, everything else just got cramped to a small corner way behind them. The main issue is the drums and rhythm guitars. After the “Rostov” track and the beginning of “She Lies 6^th Feet Under”, the sound starts to crack. The guitars and drums were driven far behind, while the bass took over as a second leading instrument after the vocals. Those sorts of inconsistencies weren’t felt on all the songs, yet, one will be able to live with those. Nevertheless, if the release would have sounded a bit different, this album would have been rated with a 9/10 or even 9.5/10.

Bejelit showed that there is something to look forward to when it comes to their skills. Their emotional tunes, thanks to the great guitar playing and awesome vocals, really sink in. Punishment 18 Records signed a great band and a strapping number on its local Metal scene. Nonetheless, this group should check for a different producer to lead their next release.

Highlights: “Rostov”, “She’s Lying 6Ft Under”, “Saints From Beyond”, “Your Personal Hell”, “Astaroth”, “Goodnight My Shade” and “Orfeo 10”.