UMUR "Staircase" is the fourth demo release by Canadian, Toronto based thrash/progressive metal act Beyond. The demo was released through Epidemic Records on cassette tape in 1989. It´s the successor to the "Framed Insanity" demo from 1988.

The material on "Staircase" is a complete left turn compared to the technical thrash metal style found on "Framed Insanity", and I´m sure fans at the time must have been shocked by what they heard. While the music still features some thrash metal riffs and harder edged parts, the music style on "Staircase" is best described as an alternative/progressive rock/metal style. It´s like a strange hybrid of Seattle rock (lead vocalist Paul Garvey leans towards sounding like Eddie Vedder) and tech thrash/progressive rock/metal. It´s an odd combination of styles on paper, and it´s even more strange listening to it.

When the shock of the drastic stylistic change has passed, I actually think Beyond pull their new adventurous style off pretty well. They are skilled musicians and Garvey has a good voice and a relatively strong delivery. It´s all a bit unpolished but that´s to be expected from a demo release. The sound production is of a good quality considering that this is a 1989 demo. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.