Review: “Devotion to the Fear” by Besomora

After capturing our imagination with their 2023 EP “Delusional Monster” the return of Australian Melodic Death Metal act Besomora is an intriguing prospect. A growing concern since 2021, the quartet who comprise vocalist and guitarist Vlad Martynov (Doubleface), lead guitarist Matt Perkins, bassist Zeus Wijetunga and drummer Mustafa Okudan have become known for their dark and atmospheric sound. Heavily influenced by the European Melodic Death Metal scene, they’ve even had the opportunity to share stages with some of their heroes in Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum and Blind Guardian. This time out they have been lucky enough to record with Matt Clarke (To The Grave) and have Lance Prenc (Polaris, Alpha Wolf, Make Them Suffer) handle mastering.

Creating an almost cinematic sense of tension “Devotio (Intro)” uses programming and orchestration to focus the attention with an undercurrent of horror movie soundtrack influences before the first of two guest appearances finds Per Nilsson of Scar Symmetry and Meshuggah fame lend his strings to “Imminent Lies“. There is a little bit of a disconnect between the introduction and the track itself which isn’t abnormal or too much of an issue largely because when the first track proper hits, it does so with the power of a building site wrecking ball. Stylistically the band shift from Melodic Death Metal into a ripping DJent passage and then back out again with a flamboyant face melting solo as if it was nothing, demonstrating incredible musicianship in the process. Martynov’s vocals are as scalding as ever and you get the feeling that lyrically this one means more because you can hear it in his voice.

The clean and crisp production of the record shines through almost instantly, the thunderous drum sound given to Okudan giving the discerning listener the opportunity to appreciate his performances in the best possible way. Those are particularly apparent on “Killing Passion“, a cut which combines classic Gothenburg sound leads with powerful staccato riff breaks as the band embrace the violence. It’s not all heavy though and the melodic break is a moment of magic which elevates the crushing finale as the four piece demonstrate their mastery of the genre which they call their own.

Majestic leads make “Before I Die” soar before Martynov delivers a surprisingly dark catchy chorus of “scream! cry! I will wait for you before I die!” and you might find that you just can’t help but sing-a-long. Like the others this one very much feels like its built to be an arena filling anthem, the kind of thing that you want to hear from festival stages across Europe and on this evidence there is no reason why Besomora can’t follow in the footsteps of bands like Orbit Culture because there is no doubt they have the talent. Last but by no means least “Leave Me Alone” sees Chris Broderick of In Flames and formerly Megadeth fame join the party, the fist in the air gang chants of “hey! hey!” adding another dimension to the blistering riffs and stunning solo. The dark atmosphere and electrifying energy ensure that the angry anthem is delivered with a verve and swagger quite like no other. As a collection, these songs are pure gold, Besomora proving that what they did with “Delusional Monster” wasn’t just a single moment of greatness but the start of a dynasty [9/10]

Track Listing

1. Devotio (Intro)
2. Imminent Lies (ft. Per Nilsson of Scar Symmetry, Meshuggah)
3. Killing Passion
4. Before I Die
5. Leave Me Alone (ft. Chris Broderick of In Flames, ex-Megadeth)

“Devotion to the Fear” by Besomora is out 18th September 2026