I was left feeling satisfied with Freedom Call's work throughout "Land of the Crimson Dawn." I had been avoiding the band like the plague after sitting through "Dimensions," which hadn't proved to be a worthy heir of Freedom Call's high-quality early opuses; it was great to hear the group back on its feet. Chris Bay and his army of Prozac-fueled troops continue to soar on the upward swing throughout "Beyond," which, I'm proud to say, is better than "Land of the Crimson Dawn" and puts up a decent case to be placed next to Freedom Call's prime releases. Not to imply the record is a groundbreaking masterpiece, but it's an above-average release from Germany's happy metal heralds who are back to deliver an upbeat, kick-the-world-in-the-chin attitude and some of the finest material they've showcased since the band's early days.There isn't much going on here that is proudly throwing Freedom Call beyond the group's musical norm, but then again Freedom Call needed to stick to its strengths rather than tamper with an acceptable sound by adding children's choirs or layers of overly-sweetened keyboards. "Beyond" knows what it is and what it wants, going for the big choruses and the huge power metal riffs and melodies glazed over what is pretty much the archetypal form of Freedom Call. The main lure is that some of the anthems are far more memorable than even the bulk of "Land of the Crimson Dawn," which was no blunder. The songs are more riff-driven and punchy but do not sacrifice the group's signature for the extra metal elements.
The first four numbers-"Union of the Strong" through "Come on Home"-are some of the finest Freedom Call tracks since "Eternity." Yeah, they're sort of recycling the melodies and ideas that they've used before, but they do so in a way that adds a lot of depth and quality. "Beyond" hits its climax with the eight-minute title track, which makes excellent use of keyboards and epic structures, making it one of Freedom Call's finest anthems of all time, perhaps. A few of the album's songs can be tossed out, though; it doesn't need fourteen tracks, some of which fall noticeably short in terms of quality and consistency-a spacious portion of "Beyond" seems daft after busting a nut five numbers in.
But many of the record's lesser moments are made at least passible by Chris Bay's uplifting vocals and Freedom Call's improved texture, showing the band acting more stimulating and involved than several of its mid-career gaffes. The rhythm section is sort of lacking, but the songwriting has improved enormously and the guitar sections produce a fine number of riffs and leads worth noting. "Beyond" is the closest thing to a Freedom Call masterpiece since "Eternity," and while not perfect, it holds enough merit to make itself a consistent, brazen slab of power metal. The performances, songwriting, sound quality, and other vital facets of the musical experience are refined but undeniably marked by the Freedom Call stamp. Credit is earned when credit is due; "Beyond" isn't too shabby.