Be Persecuted - End Leaving

Release Date: December 1st, 2009
Label: No Colours Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Hopeless Far Beyond
2.  The Last Right
3.  All End Soon
4.  End Leaving
5.  Swirl
6.  Curtain Call

Total playing time:  35:37

April 25, 2010

Reviewer: Kesh

Like a deserted concrete building, there is a certain raw quality that is found in the music of non-Western bands like that of China's Be Persecuted. While they are not consistently hard-core guitars and drum beats with screeching vocals, they do have a certain unique, old-school charm which I owe to the fact they hail from China - a place not exactly known for open minded free thought and artistic freedom. You see, they do incredibly well at capturing the sound that was made famous by some of the original pioneers of black metal (Dead/Euronymous era Mayhem, Darkthrone and others who are heralded as the originators of the oft times exalted Norwegian scene) - all of which is best captured on the track “Swirl.” While not fast, "Swirl" is still very raw and aggressive in a manner that (for myself at least) is very reminiscent of the aforementioned bands.

Thematically, the album is a little on the depressive end of the genre, with suicide, depression and nihilism towards the world being the main thematic element on all the tracks of the band’s second offering End Leaving. If you are looking for the more traditional, satanic black metal, you need to steer clear of Be Persecuted. You’re not going to find it with them. They, like most bands that are coming out of Asia these days, don’t touch on the anti-Christian themes of Western black metal. I would imagine that Chinese citizens have more oppressive things to deal with in their lives; not a religion that, for all intents and purposes has no real presence in the country and, therefore, no effect on the band’s day to day lives.

Track by track, you will consistently get the déjà vu feeling, but with it’s own twist and spins that make it unique and strong enough to stand on it’s own in the mass of bands putting themselves out to be heard. With two entirely instrumental tracks leading you in and out of the album (“Hopeless Far Beyond” and “Curtain Call”), and four other, very strongly put together tracks, each one supporting the others like I-beam supports in a well-constructed building, this bleak album will work it’s way into your head and make you ponder the darker side of life. “The Last Right” and the title track “End Leaving” are probably the two most aggressive and raw styling on the album, giving the album and overall appeal that will cater to even the most ardent black metal adherents.

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