I listened to this on a whim and that was all it took; this is really dependable and prominent stuff. Bejelit hails from the hills of Italy like many of their Bakerteam Records labelmates, yet they silently coasted about the shores of the metal world without obtaining the proper recognition for quite some time, twelve years at the point of "Emerge," in fact. The band seems to have musical themes similar to Sonata Artica or perhaps Rhapsody of Fire minus the bombastic fireworks, but Bejelit is a totally different beast. Instead, these dudes have a remarkably satisfying chemistry which smoothly breaks down and reconstructs numerous techniques and traits into genuine pieces which easily soar above the status quo of power metal's norms and expectations. They are impressively confident and dashing in their musical executions here, and it's safe to say they know exactly what the machine needs to run efficiently. "Emerge" is somewhat of an unconventional listen, not that it glides for nearly an hour, pulling out short explosions, grandiose sagas, riff-infested rockers, and everything hiding in the grey areas of Bejelit's consciousness, but just in the band's overall representation of themselves. They start the album with a smoldering burst of power metal lightly dabbling in some progressive influences called "The Darkest Hour," quickly move to an abrasive carnival of large guitar work throughout "C4," add a shred of emotion on "We Got the Tragedy," and so on. Bejelit usually appears in the form of a power metal squad, but they successfully change skins and colors within the genre without dropping the overall validity of their work, which is just fantastic throughout. Obviously, variety factors into the flow and prominence of "Emerge," showing many themes and benefits of Bejelit's flexible demeanor.
Oh yea, the riffs aren't too shabby either. Take for example if Sonata Artica abducted and force-fed Rhapsody of Fire some Xanax and completely nixed the overtly grandiloquent overtones of their work, and that's somewhat the habitual flavor here. It's important to note that the guitar work generally hits hard and just rules no matter what these dudes attempt, just total power and voltage. Fabio Privitera's vocals fit into the mix quite diligently; his style has a dramatic, saccharine presence which accommodates an assortment of emotional conditions and instrumental styles. At times "Emerge" seems introspective and somewhat of a progressive tint, but it also blasts by in aggressive notes, catchy choruses, deep instrumentation, and the devouring confidence of a band that knows just what they need.
No matter what composition or structure they attempt, Bejelit looks magnetic and absolutely sensational, never retracing used paths or expressing some dull emission that has no place on "Emerge." Rather, the thirteen anthems are cleverly crafted amulets of charismatic, electric power metal straight from the minds and hearts of gentlemen living through the sound's ethereal elements, though I never would've thought Bejelit had more conviction and strength than a staggering slice of namable power metal groups on this one little album. Just goes to show that some gems and talents are often shoved under the carpet for whatever reason, and it is our duty as metalheads to make the unaware informed. Give this a shot if you enjoy Sonata Artica, Rhapsody of Fire and its bazillion incarnations and/or clones, or power metal in general. You'll probably enjoy it.