Bethlehem - S.U.I.Z.I.D. CD Review

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2006-08-22 : INFESTER
I just wanna add that this is 'POST METAL', my own gerne creation!

Nico/Sus and The Banshees meets the UNDERGROUND metal world, pluse a nice dose of NAZISIM!!!

I would say this is one of the best albums ever made in music history!!!

Bethlehem were maybe the best band of the 90's!
2006-02-06 : INFESTER
REDSTREAM..GET THIS BACK IN PRINT!!!

WEIRDEST ALBUM YOU WILL EVER HEAR!!
2002-07-31 : Jacek : Link
Well, after the brilliant “Dictius Te Necare” (and the departure of insane vocalist Landfermann) it was obvious that this album probably wouldn’t be as good or as mind-blowing, but thankfully enough it still managed to make quite a good impression on me. A bit more free-form and dare I say experimental than “Dictius…” (mostly thanks to a greater user of samplers in some of the calmer sections and a more unusual approach to songwriting with lots of calm, darker sections thrown in ), the majority of the songs concentrate on upbeat black metal riffing with that characteristic Bethlehem guitar sound permeating through. The intensity of the previous album isn’t quite present here, as most of the songs have a slightly more gothic mood and (for most of the time) avoid any blast-oriented sections, focusing rather on simple, yet catchy guitar hooks and the creation of a dark, nearly vampire-like sort of mood, further highlighted by spacey reverb occasionally applied to the different instruments. Although most of the songs have a more straightforward approach, there are at least a few pieces that are very free-form in nature and oscillates between the post-black-metal riffing and truly bizarre ambient/noise/symphonic sections with lots of weird sound effects and processing thrown in. All in all, even though “S.U.I.Z.I.D.” isn’t quite as focuses and brilliant as “Dictius Te Necare” it is still a very original slab of way-out gothic/black metal that is unlike what most of the bands in this genre produce. In other words, Bethlehem has still retained that magic touch that makes them stand out from others and let’s hope it will continue to do so in the future as well.
2002-07-31 : Kostas Panagiotou : Link
Third full-length album and Bethlehem have once again a new vocalist. This time it is Marco from Deinonychus, whose extreme, wailing vocals are indeed very appropriate for Bethlehem's music. The initials of the words in the album title, 'Sardonischer Untergang im Zeichen Irreligiöser Darbietung', can be read as S.U.I.Z.I.D., which shows again their obsession with suicide.

The typical, dark guitar sound is still present of course, but Bethlehem experiment further with some electronic elements, drum loops and a female vocalist. On almost every song you can find sick samples, frustrated screams and some strange breaks, where you only hear some repetitive clean guitars or spoken words, screams and wailing noises from both vocalists for a few seconds, creating a nihilistic, cheerless atmosphere.

Those who think that the introduction of electronic elements like samples and drum loops makes the music always less interesting, should listen to 'Teufelverrückt Gottdreizehn' and the incredible 'Nexus' and wonder how these songs would sound without the addition of electronic elements.

1. Durch befleckte Berührung meiner Nemesis
2. Du sollst dich töten
3. Gestern starb ich schon heute
4. Teufelverrückt Gottdreizehn
5. Tote weiße Marder
6. Nexus
7. Luftstehs'lbläh
8. Als ich noch Caulerpa Taxifolia erbrach
9. Tod ist weicher Stuhl in gar fleischlos' Gift
2002-07-31 : Thrudheim : Link
This may be the most emotional sounding album that I have ever heard. Not the emotion that you may find in an In Flames disc........true emotion. This is heavy doom with some fast parts thrown in and a lot of clean melodic parts. This disc has some real memorable guitar and basslines but the reason this cd is so special lies within the vocals. I have never heard a vocalist get so into the music before. Now, since I dont understand german.....I have no clue what hes saying, but Im guessing these lyrics are very meaningful to him. During some of the clean parts he screams over he is practically in tears crying. And not like "Ow I hurt my thumb crying", brutally screaming and yelling in pure anguish. It truly makes this album special. The female spoken word vocals are very hypnotic and are a great touch as well. This album has a special way of creeping into your brain and leaves you with a truly special listening experience.

Rating: 10 / 10
2002-07-31 : Sterben : Link
Reviewed once as the most painful album recorded, S.U.i.Z.i.D. lives up to the recognition. Marco Kehren steps up where others have sung before and delivers an outstanding, ear-splitting, agonizing performance, as seen quite clearly on the introduction track "Durch befleckte Berührung meiner Nemesis." From this point on the album creates images of a downward spiral into agony, despair and pain, both through the vocals of Marco Kehren and Cathrin Campen and through Klaus Matton ability to bring the intensity of painful emotions from his guitar.

There is a darkness, with a twist, in this album that I haven't heard on any previous release. There is an element of unknown insanity that seems to lurk through the passages of the poems (taking into account that I cannot read German). There was a moment of clarity in the disjointed agonies, when all seems to stop and for a moment everythings seems a bit clearer. "Teufelverrückt Gottdreizehn," but even here, the whatever that was eating away at us grab hold again and the agony starts anew. Building in ascent and descent towards the unknown. The more I travel through this album, the more voices I hear.

This finalé is set in two parts. The chaotic, yet joined union of voices in "Als ich noch Caulerpa Taxifolia erbrach," but we are given a little light inside the deeper pain, a softer voice crying apart from the others. The second part, which would become the fairwell piece for Klaus Matton, which carries his trademark-sound, and carries us to the end of an era for Bethlehem.

In my mind, this was Bethlehem's experiement on the extreme of Dark Suicide Metal. They did reach a level of pain unmatched by any artist of this genre. 10/10
Friday, December 07, 2001 - 10:44:30 PM : Gek01The3Kings
Great album