Band:	Volbeat
Album:	Beyond Hell/Above Heaven
Style:	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Release date:	September 2010

01. The Mirror And The Ripper
02. Heaven Nor Hell
03. Who They Are
04. Fallen
05. A Better Believer
06. 7 Shots
07. A New Day
08. 16 Dollars
09. A Warrior's Call
10. Magic Zone
11. Evelyn
12. Being 1
13. Thanks

In a realm of their own.

Danish rockabilly rockers [band]Volbeat/band] were on a roll come 2010; coming off a run of strong records, they would propel their careers even further with their next record, Beyond Hell/Above Heaven, which saw the group reaching ever greater heights and one you can't help but crane your neck to see. Featuring some of their strongest and msot diverse music to date, this is the album you need to hear by the band should their sound intrigue you.

Benefitting from a unique place in their career, finding the group cementing and gaining attention for their unique style while still pushing the boundaries and experimenting without the apparent sense of expectation weighing on the band on future releases. This level of freedom and non-restraint sees the band take risks and utilize elements that benefit the record, giving it diverse flavours and tracks a distinct sound that makes Volbeat the band they are today.

Volbeat are able to move between these different styles with ease, either between standalone tracks or within tracks that weave these elements into one song. Some examples include the mixture of metal and melody on tracks like "Who They Are" and "Evelyn", the latter featuring Napalm Death's Greenway on vocals; both songs will kick your ass but then make you sing along at the same time. Other songs see the band go from country stylings into a metallic rocker ala "7 Shots" featuring Kreator's Petrozza and Mercyful Fate's Denner.

I am sceptical when it comes to guest appearances on albums, as oftentimes they feel like a gimmick or they never live up to expectations, so given Beyond Heaven/Above Hell features five such appearances, to say I was wary was an understatement. However, in addition to the three aforementioned guests, you also have Henrik Hall and Jakob Øelund, who all add something to the tracks without diverting attention from the songs, leaving you with an album that benefits from the guest inclusions. Hall's harmonica on "Heaven Nor Hell" and Øelund's slap bass on "16 Dollars" are particular highlights of the tracks and fit them perfectly, to the point that if they were removed from the songs they would lose a lot of their charm and interest.

In line with such a diverse set of guests is the music, which ranges from rockabilly, to country, pseudo-death metal and straight up rockers, this variety being one of the strengths of Beyond Hell/Above Hell. Each track retains the band's identity while also branching out into different directions. Add into this mix that some of these tracks rank among some of the band's best work then you have an album that will stick in your head long after you last gave it a spin.

"Heaven Nor Hell" has to be my favourite song by the band by a country mile; taking its bluesy cue from Clutch while remaining distinctly Volbeat, it is telling that a metal band's best work is a blues track. In addition to this is "16 Dollars", which is an upbeat rockabilly track that will have you tapping your feet while swaying your head along to the beat; it makes for a lethal combination with a few beers as you fail to keep up with Poulson's fast-paced delivery and you gibber aloud. Of course, being a rock/metal band, the album isn't bereft of high points from their bread and butter, with songs like "Who They Are" and "A Better Believer" showing the band didn't abandon their roots as they were experimenting and could still get you to bang your head.

The overarching tone of the album balances these disparate sounds while maintaining a central identity that flows throughout each track and ensures you could recognise who was playing on the radio should one track be playing in isolation off the album. Hansen does well at ensuring all these different elements are harnessed and not allowed to shoot off in a hundred different directions, resulting in the muddled mess that these songs could have easily become. This is done mainly via the guitar tone, having a blend of bite and blues that merges the rockabilly and metal roots of the band and sustains this fusion through each track.

The record does have its weaker tracks, which is to be expected; though they don't damage the album, they serve to mean the album can't be considered a flawless success. "Magic Zone" is a good track but feelslike the runt of the pack; while it isn't bad, it is a more formulaic and uninspired interpretation of the band's style. Add to this "Evelyn", which has a generic sound that doesn't live up to the talent on the track; both the band and Greenway are putting effort into it, but the song just doesn't work.

This is the album that introduced me to Volbeat and has had me hooked since; though the band haven't matched the quality on this album, it is only for the band being in the right place and the right time with their talent that they were able to create an album such as this. Beyond Heaven/Above Hell is an album that will refresh your sonic palette and stick in your brain for years to come.