Bloodties "s/t" CD
[Counterintelligence]
I didn't know what to expect from this. I did figure it would be some form of metalcore, which it is, but I didn't bargain for 10 tracks in a surprisingly quick 15 minutes. The band's style is basically chugga styled metalcore with a touch more heaviness in there ala the classic European metalcore sound, but only one song hits right at two minutes, so they bring the mosh, pack up, and leave. The vocals are gruff yells and the music is straightforward with varying tempos that never get too fast or too slow. "Forged in Hell Fire" is among the more traditionally hardcore oriented song structures, "No Escape" has a quick little dual guitar harmony lead and some curious melodic chords that hint at a more modern style, and a slew of other songs are just pure breakdown madness. The recording needs a little work, that's probably the only slight weak link here, though it's good enough to get by. The overall sound is alright, it's just a little dry and lacking in punch. I'd suggest either adding a little depth to the drums or mixing them a bit farther back (there's a little too much snap to the snare), then bringing the bass to the center. The guitar tone just needs more crunch, otherwise that and the vocals should pretty much stay put. The layout's all done in shades of black, red, and white with a few band photos interspersed with the lyrics and images of blood spatters and medical diagrams of hearts. The songs tend to deal with you general pissed off content like perseverance, revenge, etc. "I've built too many bridges just to watch them burn, Thought I knew everything, there was so much more to learn, So go ahead world, take your best shot..." This thing's over quick. I don't know, I like it. I'd definitely be more into it if the production had an ounce more punch, but I won't fault them for that. I'd loosely hold this band in the Hatebreed realm, but with less groove and a bit more European ferocity. Not a bad start... (7/10)
Running time - 15:34, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Dead to Me, No Escape, Undefeated]
Bloodties - http://www.bloodtieshq.com

This review has been displayed 2043 times.