Metalcatto
You know what I miss, people? Some direct Post-Black Metal. It’s been scarce this year. We’ve had a lot of blasting tremolo-picking, but what if I want the blasting to come with more suffering? Well, that’s what Belialed is trying to achieve with The Echoless Chasm. German Post-Black rarely disappoints. Everything here promises to be cathartic and devastating. Honestly, I can’t wait. So let’s jump into the misery blender.
The first thing that crossed my mind when putting Echoless on was that this feels as if Mgła and Downfall of Gaia had a kid together—it would be the most toxic couple ever. The music is so expansive. It swallows everything around it like a vortex. Despite its speed and fury, Belialed shows patience and attention to detail when building an atmosphere full of hopelessness and despair. Tasty. The sun never comes out for these guys, and they love it that way.
Albums like this live and die by the guitar work. Fortunately, Echoless has engaging melodic work that strikes a balance between aggression and bleakness. The tracks might be on the longer side of the spectrum, but they’re full of ideas that keep you interested. The same riffs don’t hit us for five minutes straight—something I appreciate, because there’s a thin line between being atmospheric and just being straight-up lazy. On a minor note, the vocals are mixed spot-on for this beatdown. They sit perfectly in the fabric of the noise.
It pains me a bit to nag at Echoless. It has everything I want in an album, somehow. Yet, I should mention that it does take a lot from other bands, so it’s harder for it to stand out without knowing the context well. Otherwise, you might get it mixed up with other names. Maybe that’s the idea. It wouldn’t be the first time a band prioritized vibe over branding. I know what you’re going to ask: “Catto, can the tracks be shorter?” A bit, especially the first three, but I don’t think it’s the huge deal I usually make out of it.
My bias toward this Post-Black stuff can’t be hidden, and though Belialed feels like the combination of three other well-established bands, that doesn’t mean the music is devoid of merit. It gives you everything you want from this subgenre while avoiding its excesses. That’s hard to do, and I can see myself returning to The Echoless Chasm because there’s enough mystery here to require another visit. Just remember to clear a few hours—this might take a while.
Label: Trollzorn Records
Release date: May 29th, 2026
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Belialed
Country: Germany
Score: 3.8/5.0
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