Believe: This Bread Is Mine

I've had This Bread Is Mine, the third album from Polish prog/art rockers Believe, for quite a few weeks now and have listened to it countless times. So why the long wait until the review? Well the reason is that, no matter how many listens I give this disc I have the same feelings for the album now as I did the day I first put it on, which are that the musicianship is superb and all the songs are interesting and well written, however put them all together and This Bread Is Mine just doesn't hold my attention from start to finish.

I really have tried to get the album to "click" in my head as I really do admire the song structures and arrangements and the production from Andy Jackson, who's credits include David Gilmour, amongst many, is bright yet sympathetic to the bleak, melancholic sound produced by Believe.

If you thought that fellow countrymen Riverside had a monopoly on despairing, hopelessness, listen to this album and discover a band that manage to craft some beautiful gently progressive themes into genuinely desolate, oppressive songs.

The album is full of lyrics like "I will be found, Your tears will sound, In every moments grave" from "Tales From Under (The Tree)" or "Everyone everyday, Lets you go with grace, With Pain, Your Pain" from the title track and there's little respite from the doom and gloom. Musically the feel fits the lyrics perfectly with the band using stark motifs and gentle riffs to augment the violin of Satomi and guest cellist Paulina Druch who both feature heavily throughout the album.

Mirek Gil formerly of Collage uses his guitar sparsely to lightly compliment the strings and with singer Karol Wroblewski also adding keyboards and flute to the mix, the feel is more one of gradual sad seduction than of optimistic prog. Vocally Wroblewski adds to the darkness of the album and while his voice is a little lacking in expression, he gels with the musical themes well.

As I said before I really can't single out one poor track on the whole album and in fact the string led "This Is Mine" and the acoustic strum of "Silence" are examples of the simplistic beauty that runs through the release.

If you are looking for an album full of fragile melancholic despair, then I can't recommend this album highly enough, however for me it's just slightly too one dimensional and bleak to listen to regularly in full, however in short bursts it's power is undeniable.

Track list
1. The Years
2. Tales From Under The Tree
3. Mother
4. And All The Roads
5. Darkness
6. Problems Rise
7. Aa
8. This Bread Is Mine
9. This Is Life
10. Mine
11. Silence

Added: November 2nd 2009
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Metal Mind Records
Hits: 2035
Language: english

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