Review: Bellusira – The Healing
Artist: Bellusira
Album: The Healing
Rating: 9.5/1o
Some of the most impressive bands of this era have come from the “land down under.” Australia has bred bands like Our Last Enemy (Eclipse Records,) Parkway Drive (Epitaph Records,) and Northlane (UNFD) who have each created their own legacies in the metal world. However, there’s a band called Bellusira who seems to be less well-known and I cannot figure out how. Vocalist Crystal Ignite is a major powerhouse, balancing the perfect amount of melody and aggression for an artist of her caliber. Not to mention the insane amount of talent in the instrumental department, which consists of drummer Tosha Jones, bassist Mark Dalbeth and, newest addition, guitarist/keys from Koichi Fukuda (ex-Static X). Their latest album and 4th release to date, The Healing, shows these Aussie locals at their best. They’ve already acquired a huge following in the US, as well! This band has been climbing their way to the top for quite some time now, touring more and more with each release and, by extension, being able to hit more cities. With their signing to Pavement Entertainment, the release of The Healing and they just recently announced an Australian tour with the mighty Halestorm, they’re got just the right mixture to get them to where they need to be.
The Healing shows the band in a new light, recharged and raring to go. With the addition of Fukuda to the mix, we begin to get slight tinges of an industrial sound in their live set, which adds a new dimension to their music. While the album was completed prior to Fukuda joining, you can certainly hear the influence that his former band has had on them. Ignite’s vocals have a heavy mixture of the grittiness from Halestorm and the pop/punk-infused sound of earlier Paramore. It’s evident as the beginning of “The Fight” hits your speakers that this band is different from the rest. Ignite’s vocals come in slow, in an almost forewarning tone and then soar up to the heights that you’ll hear throughout the rest of the album. With tracks like “The Fight,” the upcoming lead single “Black Seed” (video coming very soon exclusively via Revolver Magazine) and even the more subtle, melancholy vibes of a track like “Sister,” which show a more melodic side of Ignite’s vocals, they’ve got something to brag about. The melancholy nature of “Sister,” is to be expected because it seemingly is a cry out to Ignite’s sister (or best friend… as she refers to this person as her “soul sister”?) who can’t seem to accept the band’s success. It’s a song that really pulls on your heart strings because you can feel Ignite’s heart breaking as she sings each lyric.. I wouldn’t be surprised if, when they perform this song live, tears well up in her eyes. The final track I want to talk about is “Sever.” This track is heavier in nature, really packs a punch and features some gang vocals in the chorus. It also sees Ignite performing some pseudo-raps toward the end, which I thought really brought some more character to this track.
With the release of The Healing, Bellusira is proving just why Pavement decided to sign them. Not only do they have an incredible sound, they’ve got an incredibly energetic nature about them. Anyone who has been to one of their shows will tell you that they’re one of the most energetic, female-fronted bands not residing in the US. My only question is: what comes next for them? They’ve managed to keep their sound as original as possible without sacrificing their musicianship, they’ve never let down and they’re only getting better with each song they release. In any case, make sure you pick up your copy of The Healing out on Pavement Entertainment now!
Buy The Healing
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Bellusira is:
Vocals: Crystal Ignite
Bass: Mark Dalbeth
Guitar and Keys: Koichi Fukuda
Drums: Tosha Jones
