Beseech - Souls Highway (2002)

Country: Sweden
Label: Napalm Records
Official website: www.beseech.net

Vocals: Lotta Hoglin [2000-]
Vocals: Erik Molarin [2001-]
Guitars: Robert Spanglund [Vintervind] [1992-]
Bass: Daniel Elofsson [1998-]
Drums: Jonas Stromberg [1998-]
Keyboards: Mikael Back [2000-]

Former members:
Vocals: Jorgen Sjoberg [1992-2001]
Guitars, vocals: Klas Bohlin [1992-2003]
Bass: Andreas Wiik [1992-1998]
Bass: Tony Lejvell [1994-1994]
Drums: Morgan Gredaker [1992-1998]

During 2001, after the monumental “Black Emotions” (2000) and a successful tour with Theatre of Tragedy and Lacuna Coil, Jörgen Söberg, lead singer and one of the members that formed Beseech back in 1992, decided to leave the band. And then comes Erik Molarin, a charismatic singer to replace Jörgen Sjöberg. Erik Molarin’s deep melodic voice will help the band forget their doom/death influences that started to fade from “Black Emotions” and search pure gothic soundscapes (the gothic rock influences in the sound of Beseech become more intense but without losing their metal identity). From now on Lotta Höglin’s role in Beseech will be greater for she sings more and she has the chance to prove what a beautiful voice she has. Erik Molarin led Beseeh in a new highway, “Soul’s Highway”.
The album begins with a lovely song, “Illusionate”, in which Erik and Lotta show what a lovely duet they are with their expressive voices harmonizing wonderfully. The next song that follows is “Between the Lines”, one of my favorite songs, an utterly emotional composition with both Lotta and Erik expressing themselves in a unique way; a song that will overrun your souls from its very first melody until its last. “Soul’s Highway”, a wonderful up-tempo composition, comes next and then follows a beautiful-sounding atmospheric piece, “Blinded” with Lotta and Erik enchanting the listener for one more time.
The melodies keep overrunning the listener with “Endless Waters”, a mid-tempo composition filled with melancholy for one of a couple is passing away, yet there’s always hope that they’ll meet again. “Fiction City” that follows is one of my favorite compositions of “Soul’s Highway”, a mid-tempo one filled with emotion.
“Sunset 28” continues the album in a bleak way, with both music and lyrics exuding melancholic visions through the mourning atmosphere, a song dedicated to a “diamond that lost her world that day”. “A Last Farewell” follows, an inspired composition with beautiful keyboard melodies.
The painful melodies of “A Season in Green” leaves scars behind with both Lotta and Erik expressing in a dramatic way the bleak lyrics harmonizing with the melancholic music. The album ends with the tranquil outro. Finally the spirit through “Soul’s Highway” has reached its final place of rest “Beyond the Skies”.
The limited digipack edition of the album contains as a bonus track a brilliant cover on Abba’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme” which sounds as if it was one of Beseech’s own songs.
Beseech started becoming well-known with “Black Emotions”, but the album that made them approach a wide audience was definitely “Soul’s Highway”, an album that received extraordinary reviews by the music print worldwide. Personally, I prefer “Black Emotions” and “From a Bleeding Heart”, but “Soul’s Highway” is a must for the gothic metal fans!

Tracklisting:

01. Drama
02. Higher Level
03. Voices
04. Forever Falling
05. Bitch
06. Addicted
07. Come on in
08. Friend Emptiness