Vol. #248: Befallen – “Our Light to the Stars”
Rustbelt Rock Review
By: Z.M. Delgado
Volume #248: Befallen – “Our Light to the Stars”
Release Date: March 6th, 2026
Hello my fellow Heavy Metal aficionados! I hope you are having a day filled with head banging and horn raising. As for myself, I am presently Rocking out to the newest release from Cleveland’s own Befallen.This is an album that dropped back in the spring, that I am only just now getting a chance to break down. It’s perfect timing though, as I am getting this review out just in time to mention the official album release party. That’s right, Befallen will be rocking No Class on Saturday, August 1st. (Check out the flyer below for all the details.) So without further delay, let’s get into it. Firstly, an introduction: Befallen is a Melodic Death Metal act known for their outstanding use of melodies, Doomy cadences as well as their deep guttural Vocals. Their album, “Our Light to the Stars” is the follow up to 2023’s “Before the Sun” EP, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Much the same can be said about this new effort, which I am fully enamored with. Running 38 minutes this 6 song collection is at that perfect length. Long enough to make a lasting impression, without overstaying it’s welcome. Now let’s go through the songs, track by track and break them down.
The album begins with “Abyssmal Passage” an eerie instrumental piece that serves as an intro to the thundering opening track, “Rememberance.” This piece opens with roaring Vocals right out of the gate. The Guitar work is really excellent. The chords are truly crushing, keeping the vibe supremely heavy. Meanwhile, they don’t forget to put the melody into their Melodic Death Metal and they do so with expert application. Haunting notes rise from the background adding a subtle effect to the song, that keeps the listener emotionally involved with the composition throughout.
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“From Our Memory” has some beautiful Guitar work right out front, that I really dig. When the Bass comes in it adds a great secondary layer to the groove that you don’t even know is necessary until it appears. When the Vocals eventually drop in, riding upon another devastating chord progression, it’s like a tsunami breaking; a collision that cannot be survived. Lead licks slide from the beneath the main riffs and add that melody that is oh so essential. The Vocals are nothing short of ferocious. Monstrous in their presentation and intense in their delivery. Simultaneously the percussion section cannot be denied. With lively beats and hard hitting double kicks, these Drums are a force to be reckoned with.
“By This Virtue” is one of my favorite numbers in this collection. It kicks off with a creepy progression of echoing notes. It builds a piece at a time, adding Drums, Bass, distorted chords and finally Vocals. Once all the ingredients are introduced to the cauldron, the end result is a potent brew to be sure. This song is a chugging behemoth of a track, which spreads over nine and half minutes in length. With a run time like that, you can imagine the song goes through a lot of changes. This is a well written, expansive track, that really showcases what Befallen are all about and what they can do. In short, it is a sonic journey worth taking.
“Unfold” begins with some gorgeous clean notes which leads into yet another apocalyptic wave of sound. With this composition Befallen has woven another tapestry of terror into existence; a soundscape of insanity. The Guitar work is exquisite. The Vocals demonic. The Drums are metronome perfect and Heavy as stone and the Bass generates a sufficiently fat low end. There’s even some occasional piano work that adds a nice effect to the mix. Spanning beyond the seven minute mark, “Unfold” does exactly that, it unfolds over a generous slice of time and it is time well spent.
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That brings us to “What Separates Us,” the final work in this collection, and it is another stand out track to me. Another nine and a half minute beast, this is an epic work of songwriting. I don’t know how to further describe this song beyond that. It’s incredible and to say anything other than that it a disservice. This piece packs in everything that the rest of the album has: The melodies, the heaviness, the atmosphere and the grandeur. This is a climactic track, that brings an amazing album to an enormous crescendo. It is the perfect way to complete and close out a powerful collection of songs.
So in the end, how do I feel about Befallen’s “Our Light to the Stars?” I have to say I find it to be extraordinarily power packed collection of songs and a huge step forward for this band. While “Before the Sun” was really good, and I mean really good, I feel like this album is so much… more. Everything about it feels bigger, deeper and more profound. It is atmospheric, ominous, melody filled and most important, impossibly heavy. I love the ambition of the song writing. These tracks are huge in their scope and really need to be examined and absorbed, not merely listened too. So yes, without a doubt I give this collection the stamp of approval. I think this is a stunning and savage addition to the Cleveland Musicverse and something Befallen should be very proud of. If you’re a fan of Amon Amarth, Wolfheart or Behemoth definitely check out Befallen and their new album “Our Light to the Stars” right away. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. On that note, I will leave you for this week. Thanks for reading, for Rocking and for supporting the Scene.
Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,
-Z.M. Delgado
Rustbelt Rock Review
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