There seemed to be a time where every gig I went to featured Glasgow metalcore crew Bleed From Within, but this road dog attitude has meant that they have been playing and recording for 20 years now, which is not to be underestimated in the current music industry climate. Personally I think the main reason for their success and longevity is that they embrace the changes in the music industry without losing their identity, refining and rebuilding their sound across every record to become the most potent version of themselves.
No wonder then that this seventh album is called Zenith as it genuinely feels as if they have reached the peak of their powers, how they’ll follow it I have no idea but for now they have an album that will become their magnum opus, one that any other record will be compared to. With the title track they dabble with choirs, bagpipes (In Place Of Your Halo) move into deathcore breakdowns for crushing heaviness but also keep one foot in thrashy metalcore on God Complex, Scott Kennedy barking with the confidence and swagger of Corey Taylor on Vol.3, his cleans coming on A Hope In Hell, the vocal production skills of Dan Weller, bringing out the best in Kennedy.
Craig “Goonzi” Gowans and Steven Jones trading riffs like their musical heroes putting the melody in the aggression but also unleashing distorted hell as Wes Hauch (Alluvial) and Rabea Massaad (Toska) provide some guest solos. Davie Provan’s bass gives a low industrial throb to Dying Sun, his bottom end keeping the breakdowns chunky. Elsewhere the band showcase the groove metal influences on Immortal Desire, which features Brann Dailor of Mastodon on guest vocals and has Ali Richardson playing his proggiest drum patterns of the record, the speed again increasing for Chained To Hate, all shredding guitars and blast beats.
Zenith is definitely Bleed From Within at their most triumphant, the euphoric choruses of Known By No Name sits comfortably against the savage Hands Of Sin, featuring Ali’s Sylosis bandmate Josh Middleton on guest vocals. The future of British metal is secure so long as bands such as Bleed From Within exist. 9/10
Spiritworld – Helldorado (Century Media Records)
Much like how Tobias Forge, tightly controls the image, sound and overall presentation of Ghost, Stu Folsom is the driving creative force behind Spiritworld a band with a unique stance in the metal world. With Spiritworld Folsom not only shows his skills as a musician/composer but also as an author, all three records are steeped in lore created by the Folsom, terrifying stories of Lovecraft level horrors, embraced by a Western sheen, if Argento collaborated with Leone, this would be the soundtrack.
With their third album Helldorado, Spiritworld show off their influence in the metal scene by having Zach Blair (Rise Against), Sgah'gahsowáh (Blackbraid) and Frederic Leclercq (Kreator) all getting guest spots, it seems that the Las Vegas band’s brand of ‘Country Thrash’ has made wave. Abilene Grime kicks off Helldorado with Folsom’s raw vocals and country punk drum pattern before things go all Slayer, the thrashing continues on the dual guitar wielding No Vacancy In Heaven.
This all out hardcore thrash assault maybe jarring against the visuals of the band but that’s what set them apart from the other bands in the genre, they take musical risks alongside sartorial ones (are Western Outfits in?), with Bird Song Of Death has Social Distortion cowpunk, acoustic picking and finger clicks as it leads into the ‘true country’ of Prayer Lips. Spiritworld do for Country and Western what Volbeat do for rockabilly, make it heavier, louder and more fun than before. 8/10
Warbringer – Wrath And Ruin (Napalm Records)
Southern California, is now and has always been a hotbed for thrash metal so it’s no wonder that Warbringer have been held in such high esteem. Their previous albums have all been lauded as great additions to the thrash pantheon so with Wrath And Ruin they look to do the same again. If you like thrash that has duelling guitars, technical nuances and complex compositions while always retaining that lawlessness, aggression and groove that thrash has always been about then you’ll be reaching for the volume on tracks such as the chugging Neuromancer and stomping around your living room.
Warbringer are a band who try to redefine thrash metal with each album, on Wrath And Ruin they have done so by letting some death metal influences on The Jackhammer, a song with breakdown so thick Power Trip fans will be salivating. The rage of the record, coming from the snarled vocals is born from the constant class struggle we find ourselves in, thrash as a means of rebellion, they really are taking it back to the beginnings of the genre. Songs about imperialism, A.I (Cage Of Air) and free will are age old themes within the thrash genre but Warbringer give them a historical bent on The Sword And The Cross and the occult/black metal leaning Through A Glass, Darkly.
Wrath And Ruin closes with The Last Of My Kind, thrash and melodeath in union, cementing Warbringer not only as one of the more innovative thrash bands around but also one of the best. 8/10
Sonus Mortis – Synapse The Hivemind (Self Released)
Kevin Byrne returns with another symphonic death/doom/black metal record under his Sonus Mortis guise. This is the third in a trilogy of concept records dealing with the dystopian journey of humanity’s downfall, Synapse The Hivemind is the moment when Human consciousness is surrendered to technology in order to continue its existence but of course hubris intervenes and we’re all doomed. Upbeat and hopeful then…not.
Synapse The Hivemind is a sinister record then but played with top level musicianship, Byrne is a skilled guitarist and bassist, playing 7 string electric guitars and 5 string/fretless basses (solo on The Perfect Host), he shreds all over this record especially on songs such as I Used To Be Human and The System Shock, though on the latter there are moments where you know the drums are generated, however Byrne has a mastery of electronics too, creating huge synth and orchestration layers on The Unravelling Array.
Synapse The Hivemind keeps the level of technicality as high as it has been on the two previous Sonus Mortis records but with each one Byrne seems to get more ambitious. Fans of Septicflesh, Fleshgod et al rejoice. 8/10
Warbringer – Wrath And Ruin (Napalm Records)
Southern California, is now and has always been a hotbed for thrash metal so it’s no wonder that Warbringer have been held in such high esteem. Their previous albums have all been lauded as great additions to the thrash pantheon so with Wrath And Ruin they look to do the same again. If you like thrash that has duelling guitars, technical nuances and complex compositions while always retaining that lawlessness, aggression and groove that thrash has always been about then you’ll be reaching for the volume on tracks such as the chugging Neuromancer and stomping around your living room.
Warbringer are a band who try to redefine thrash metal with each album, on Wrath And Ruin they have done so by letting some death metal influences on The Jackhammer, a song with breakdown so thick Power Trip fans will be salivating. The rage of the record, coming from the snarled vocals is born from the constant class struggle we find ourselves in, thrash as a means of rebellion, they really are taking it back to the beginnings of the genre. Songs about imperialism, A.I (Cage Of Air) and free will are age old themes within the thrash genre but Warbringer give them a historical bent on The Sword And The Cross and the occult/black metal leaning Through A Glass, Darkly.
Wrath And Ruin closes with The Last Of My Kind, thrash and melodeath in union, cementing Warbringer not only as one of the more innovative thrash bands around but also one of the best. 8/10
Sonus Mortis – Synapse The Hivemind (Self Released)
Kevin Byrne returns with another symphonic death/doom/black metal record under his Sonus Mortis guise. This is the third in a trilogy of concept records dealing with the dystopian journey of humanity’s downfall, Synapse The Hivemind is the moment when Human consciousness is surrendered to technology in order to continue its existence but of course hubris intervenes and we’re all doomed. Upbeat and hopeful then…not.
Synapse The Hivemind is a sinister record then but played with top level musicianship, Byrne is a skilled guitarist and bassist, playing 7 string electric guitars and 5 string/fretless basses (solo on The Perfect Host), he shreds all over this record especially on songs such as I Used To Be Human and The System Shock, though on the latter there are moments where you know the drums are generated, however Byrne has a mastery of electronics too, creating huge synth and orchestration layers on The Unravelling Array.
Synapse The Hivemind keeps the level of technicality as high as it has been on the two previous Sonus Mortis records but with each one Byrne seems to get more ambitious. Fans of Septicflesh, Fleshgod et al rejoice. 8/10
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