Track Review: “Aly” by Below The Stones

Mastered by TesseracT guitarist Acle Kahney (Sylosis, Vower, Heart Of A Coward) at 4D Sounds and featuring guest vocals from both Caitlyn Murray and Paris Hurst-Newey to contrast those of Ed Barnes, “Aly” starts a new chapter for Below The Stones following last years well received single “Goliath“. The Midlands based Progressive Metalcore act come armed with fretless bass from Tom Whall, a twin guitar attack from Harry Mackereth and Euan Coyle and a drummer in Max Tiernan who is capable of producing thunder. So what does it sound like?

The tale of a relationship that’s the case of the right person at the wrong time and therefore reaches breaking point told in aching fashion is the last thing we expected from Below The Stones at this point. A cut with an emotional air to it that indicates that its based on a true story rather than being a work of fiction makes all the difference and despite the melancholia this is still a tune heavy enough to keep you coming back. Heavy riffs and blast beats open up the arteries and create an air of tension before descending into aching melody. As male and female vocals intertwine with the line “there will never be another” to sombre nature of this endeavour is revealed because you can sense the “but” as the one that got away slips through the cracks in the pavement like sand in an hour glass. Finding the right female voice to not only reflect the narrative but also counterbalance the vocals is vital and goes a long way to helping capture the mood. Curiously and perhaps without meaning to, this new cut floats downstream towards bands like R&B Metal fusion crew Siamese stylistically, the sing-a-long ability of it making it an offering that reaches a new audience. Well crafted with a modern Progressive Metalcore edge, it demonstrates a continuation of sound refinement from Below The Stones, leaving us to wonder just how far they could go given the studio time to continue building the narrative [7.5/10]