BLOODIEST

"Descent" (Relapse; 2011)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

Bloodiest is a Chicago septet featuring prolific underground metal musician Bruce Lamont in their ranks that emits a vintage aura of eeriness on their debut six-track affair "Descent."

By adding piano and acoustic guitar as integral elements to the traditional bass, drum, and guitar setup, Bloodiest allows the music they create to venture into atmospheres and reveal textures usually not associated with metal, revisiting styles that Lamont is accustomed to from some of his more recent solo work in the process. But make no mistake; this is a definitively heavy record, both in the undeniably thunderous delivery (especially from the drums) this band possesses as well as it being ingrained in every doom-laden riff and tortured scream throughout.

Despite being richly adorned with the spiraling riffs and circular rhythms that elicit an off-kilter avant-garde vibe while Lamont’s eclectic vocals finds the balance between the light and dark of the material, Bloodiest tends to meander in the name of musical exploration, making an already difficult to digest piece of music that much more challenging to comprehend. Nonetheless, if you think you can handle this band’s bold and edgy output and don’t mind a few drawn out parts, Bloodiest is a release worth seeking out.

For more information, check out http://www.facebook.com/bloodiestband.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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Copyright © 2011 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
Revised: 19 Mar 2024 18:22:13 -0500.