Press

Anyone who's even been casually interested in the northeastern hardcore scene has probably heard of Bela Kiss and, specifically, has heard two things about them; one, they're different, and two, they've got a great live show.
With this in mind, I set out to see Bela Kiss on one of their recent shows on the UpBeetMusic.com tour with Anterrabae, and picked up a copy of their cd. Now I had booked Bela Kiss at a show years ago when they were relatively new, and was awed by their stage presence and energy, a quality that (judging by what I saw at their latest show) has only gone on to be honed and refined as the years went on. So, with two shows under my belt, would I feel the same reverence and respect for Bela Kiss on album as I did for their live performance?
Thankfully the answer is, for the most part, yes. On For Those Who Don't Believe, Bela Kiss are able to successfully make a musical statement that is both relevant and impressive.
To go in depth, let's look first at the general song structure itself. Bela Kiss' songs are undeniably complicated, but are able to make even the wildest juxtapositions and transitions seamless and logical, with ('Dear Miss…') being the strongest example of this (although every song, really, is a fine example).
Carrying those transitions through are some of the most dynamic vocal performances in recent memory. Banshee-wails and death star-gutterals coexist and intermingle within seconds of each other, giving the illusion of two separate vocalists at times. It's a wonder this poor boy can carry this on for an hour or so set and be able to even speak afterwards with the way he tortures his vocal chords.
Vocals aside, Bela Kiss are a very capable band as far as instrumentation goes. Admittedly, this is where the Bela Kiss-mobile shows a little rust; certain guitar lines that only make sense when carried out with surgical precision lose themselves within the song, and others simply seem to be reaching a little too far beyond what they can (and should) do. Otherwise, they do possess an impressive sense of speed and rhythm as well as genuine ingenuity (the use of harmonics is particularly satisfying). Bass and drums do their jobs in a solid fashion, but manage to pull out inventive slides and beat patterns when necessary.
My only real criticisms of the album come in the form of a painful acoustic number and some embarrassing female vocals. I'll focus first on the acoustic number; hardcore and metal bands seriously need to learn that power chords/downtunings sound thin and scratchy in a bad way when transposed to an acoustic guitar. Keep the vocal tracks, but play an acoustic guitar the way it's meant to be played, with finesse, chime, and articulation. Secondly, it must be noted that the inclusion of some rather out of place female vocals on the album's closer and title track hurt rather than help the overall sound. Not only are they slightly off key and delivered almost apathetically, they only serve to emphasize a particularly dramatic lyric ('Suffocaaaaaaaaaaaaate'). I can let it go, but just barely, because it mercifully comes off as one of those musical quirks that will only fly in metal. Altogether these are rather minor and inconsequential criticisms that must be noted solely for the sake of integrity.
Bela Kiss' main strength is in their utter sense of submission to the songs themselves. They are not vehicles for any particular member of the band, but rather are held up by the members; the individuals further the art rather than the art being a platform for the individuals, and are able to create a sense of thematic and musical unity that permeates the primordial chaos that exists within each song. Bela Kiss are punishing without being haphazard, intelligent without being pretentious, math without being long division, and impressive without being fleeting.
Good show, gentlemen.

Standout Tracks; Dear Miss…, The Lock Box Redres, For Those Who Don’t Believe

-Andrew Salyer/Upbeetmusic.com

Hot Topic Stage-2:20 – 2:40
This band also had a surprisingly large following. I only saw one song and it was the first I had ever heard from the band and it definitely inspired me to check them out. From what I saw, they were very good and really danceable.

-Dutch Pearce/Lambgoat.com