And the sky turned black. I was in Cologne for the XX World Youth Day, wandering the streets with a trusted friend of mine in search of a music store, well aware that Germany would not betray our expectations. There we were, in a MediaMarket, an electronics store with a section dedicated to music of any genre. We immediately dove into the metal section, with sights we'd never seen: DVDs that cost 40 euros back in Taranto were 18 here, or at worst 23. There was truly something for every taste: I knew I would buy one or two CDs, but I didn't know what. I looked around while my friend raved and rationally assessed what was worth taking and what wasn't. That's when my gaze fell on an abandoned CD there in the middle. The cover was strange, with a series of dark spots embedded together, and to the left a triangle with just one word: Beecher. A moment, half a second, the time it took to bring back to mind the name of that band and that curious yet sparse cover. I had read a very positive review about them, describing them as a band from which you never knew what to expect. I was interested, yet I had never sought them out, they weren't among my priorities. Also, what I remembered about them was very vague, so much so that I wasn't even sure if the band I remembered was the same. But at that moment it was inevitable: I picked up the CD and bought it for 17 euros.

After spending so much time reasoning, I acted entirely on instinct; in the days that followed, before going home to listen to it, I kept thinking I had done the wrong thing. Now I can say that that was one of those moments when truly, as they say, I had an "indescribable stroke of luck." Because after all this time, I still can't get the notes of this wonderful album out of my head. Frenzied shards of metal-core blend with nostalgic melodies, with absurd drum tempos thrown into psychedelic atmospheres (or psychotic?), the piercing voice of Ed Godby that, when you least expect it, shifts into melodic singing worthy of Jeffrey Moreira. And then, again, grind influences here and there, but so much, so much feeling in here. They reminded me of Converge's unforgettable "Petitioning The Empty Sky" (and also a bit of "Jane Doe"), like them, attentive to the highest levels in sound construction, perhaps less sharp, but in my opinion more rational and melancholic, if one can speak of melancholy. They also reminded me of the latest Poison The Well in their moments of mystical trance. Essential like the early Isis when it comes to noise atmospheres. But what is most surprising about Beecher is their ability to never remain stagnant; you never know what to expect from them, indeed. Metal-core? Screamo? Rubbish, that's too simple. The tempo changes are endless and sudden, and often seem almost to form the foundation of the album; maybe you hear a riff that drives you crazy, you pray to God they don't change it, and you're disappointed, but only to hear an even better one. And so the record flows penetrating, between melody and brutality, enchantment and disenchantment, post-core atmosphere and thrash metal outburst, with melodic vocals coming out of nowhere, towards the apocalypse of the final "Ladder Theory"; and to conclude the journey, a brief yet intense "Crack Fiend," a bonus track that is like stepping away from the world for two minutes, leaving a sign that reads BE BACK SOON.

Beecher are truly among the best Post Hardcore realities lurking in the underground, and if you love the genre, you will have no trouble considering "Breaking The Fourth Wall" an absolute must. Give it a thought. Or rather, a thorough thought.

Tracklist Samples and Videos

01   Let Them Drown (02:52)

02   Dead for Weeks (03:49)

03   Burning Surface (03:53)

04   Arrow Flies (02:22)

05   Mercury Switch (01:21)

06   Floating Point (02:03)

07   The Only One I Know (03:58)

08   Red Diesel (03:24)

09   Cabin Boy Jumped Ship (02:22)

10   An Important Letter (05:51)

11   Ladder Theory / Crack Fiend (14:25)

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