Endowed with beautiful cover art, excessive songwriting, and no shortage of ambition, BE'LAKOR seem primed to become 2009's "it" band; except their latest has a few ugly blemishes that may see them eventually disqualified from such acclaim. But take note: This isn't a bad album by any stretch of the phrase; it's just a bit over-the-top. The wondrous rendering of a Roman statue on the cover alone begs for your attention. Look at it. Hard. Now marvel. Done yet?

Musically, BE'LAKOR strive to breathe life into their own genre, or at least a very Progressive take on Dark Metal. Filled with growlsome vocals from singer-guitarist George Kosmas that come wrapped in tons - and this reviewer means TONS - of melody, BE'LAKOR are a feast for the senses. Has it been mentioned that this quintet are from cheery Australia?

In matters of key influences these guys take a shining to the European stuff, particularly what has been going on in Sweden for the last, hmmm...15 years or so? This means chunks of Melodic Death that invigorate some of the tunes here and also the above mentioned Progressive tendencies that cause the band to flirt with mellowness on occasion. A good example is the short instrumental opener "Venator". Really glum and contemplative at first, then an epic melody kicks in. There's also a strong hint of Doom permeating the moody tracks on this album, which explains why each song runs almost ten minutes each. Think about it: Melodic Death, a bit of Power Metal bombast and keyboards, Progressive arrangements, even somber Gothic melancholy, then Doom Metal atmosphere. A mixed bag, an aural mess, the strange musical beast calling itself BE'LAKOR.

So this is what's wrong with "Stone's Reach": The songs inside stretch for minutes and minutes, crammed with so much redundant musicality that the album's even pace slackens. A bit of a waste considering the exceptional "Outlive The Hand" and its more upbeat cousin "Husks". No small amount of imagination lurks on the downward spiral that marks the album's close. Beginning with another contemplative feast of beautiful guitar play and easy tempos is the instrumental "Aspect" that serves as the overture to the immense album closer "Countless Skies". Once it's done, you're caught napping. This is compelling material, albeit rather sleep-inducing.