CD REVIEW: BELLUSIRA – The Healing

Label: Pavement Entertainment

Release Date: October 16, 2015

Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

Aussie rockers Bellusira cannot be pigeonholed into any specific genre of rock – their songs have different grooves, vibes, feels, and textures. Disc opener “The Fight” opens with a harder edge and fuzzed sound that soon morphs into an aggressive rocker that gives us a peek into the industrial feel of the band, as well as the great vocals of Crystal Ignite. “Dance With Me” comes out swinging with a great tempo, killer riffs, and vocals that run the gambit of emotions and vibes. The swing from melodic verse to gritty chorus adds to the songs strength. “Sister” slows the tempo and energy of the disc down, but soon an emotionally charged chorus takes over and gives the song a kick that helps it swirl into the mix with the other tracks. “Sever” is a great track that grabbed me on the first listen and still begs for attention every listen through. The drumming of Tosha Jones paired up with Mark Dalbeth’s thumping bass lines give this track a cool cadence and groove from start to finish. “Redemption Queen” brings a lot of the positive aspects of the other tracks together, but the real star on this track is the guitar playing of Koichi Fukuda. The chugging riff underneath the mix adds punch to the tracks delivery. “Tonight” slows the tempo down as the disc nears the end. The vocals are cool and bring a contrasting background sound that swirls with the guitars and bottom end at the chorus, creating a warm and comforting sound.

“Black Seed” is a moodier rocker that gives the rhythm section room to expand and drudge up a heavier sound that sets itself apart from other tracks, but weaves itself into the overall feel of the disc. “How Far” brings more pounding and thumping from the rhythm section combo of Dalbeth and Jones. The songs tempo is well matched to the vocals and mood of the track. The keyboards in the background add depth to the track. “Pieces” is a cool power ballad that leans heavy on the vocals of Ignite, while letting the guitar work of Fukuda stand out at various points throughout the track. The feel of the song draws you in and keeps you mesmerized for four minutes. “The Fire Song” brings a killer vibe meets tempo track to the disc, while delivering some of the best vocals on the disc. Ingite really shows off her different styles when the song shifts from verse to chorus and back again. Closing out the disc, we get and acoustic track in “The Healing.” It isn’t the strongest track on the disc, but curious enough to listen through.

​​​​​Tracklisting: The Fight – Dance With Me – Black Seed – Sister – How Far – Sever – Pieces – Redemption Queen – The Fire Song – Tonight – The Healing

BELLUSIRA LINKS:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

ITUNES

Category: CD Reviews