Review: “Delusional Monster” by Besomora

Taking their name from Slavic mythology while drawing on inspiration from dark spirits and demons, Besomora are a four piece Melodic Death Metal collective who have arisen from the Australian scene while sharing Eastern European heritage. Founded by guitarist and vocalist Vlad Martynov and drummer Daniel Zolotic in February 2021, the group is rounded out by bassist Zeus Wijetunga and lead guitarist Matt Perkins. Based in Sydney, the band have already established themselves as a live force, sharing stages with international acts like Be’lakor and The Night Flight Orchestra (who feature Soilwork and Arch Enemy members) as well as locals like Disentomb.

Despite that self description as a Melodic Death Metal act there is a lot more to the Besomora sound than meets the eye, something which becomes apparent as first cut “Vagabond” plays out. The guitar work sounds distinctly American in influence with moments of Thrash and Death Metal interwoven into its very fabric, Trivium springing to mind during the intertwining leads. That Eastern European heritage comes into play with the vocals which sound almost Scandinavian, their shriller tones unclean enough to satisfy while being clean enough to ensure the lyrics aren’t hidden in plain sight. A monstrous start that gets the record off to a flyer, the opening cut showcases the kind of musicianship that is a modern interpretation with classic Old School roots. “No Remorse” would probably have been described as Metalcore had it arisen from the black depths a decade ago but in reality this powerhouse of Melodic Death Metal hints at Gothenburg sound inspirations more than anything else. The four piece make great use of some rich melodic passages while remaining steadfast in their refusal to use clean vocals, instead opting for some harsh whispers by way of a change up on this one. A drum solo into stuccato riffs and then a solo mid track is clinically executed and utterly sublime, the only issuing being that the earlier transition out from the melodic to the heavy isn’t as slick as it could be, but it’s minor thing that most probably won’t notice.

The first of the guest appearances is on “Mass Starvation” with Joe Haley of Psycroptic joining the party for a rampaging Thrash riff laden cut. The solo is pure class and sounds like it was lifted from one of the finer Slayer records, such is the quality of the musicianship on this neck snapping good time. Swaying like marionettes, “Beyond Atrocity” slows things down for something deeper and darker, the threat of some more technical riffing not coming to fruition as the band instead play with atmosphere. That works incredibly well because after something of a slow burning start, the cut becomes captivating and the crescendo powerful. “Suffocate Me” completes the collection by bringing Tobi Morelli of Archspire fame on board, the verve and swagger of the performance second to none on the record. If anything, this one is perhaps more melodic that you might have anticipated given then guest however, it is refreshing to hear someone offer something a little less expected and the technical soloing offered is immense. Besomora don’t sound like an underground band in any way shape or form, they sound like a major label act who tour the globe for 9 months of the year, a testament to the quality of the musicianship captured in this debut EP. They’re a well oiled machine who have sanded down all the rough edges to provide us with a high quality offering that should see them break out of their homeland very soon [8.5/10]

Track Listening

1. Vagabond
2. No Remorse
3. Mass Starvation (ft. Joe Haley of Psycroptic)
4. Beyond Atrocity
5. Suffocate Me (ft. Tobi Morelli of Archspire)

“Delusional Monster” by Besomora is out 15th December 2023