Review Summary: Bleeding Through return but somehow you get the feeling you've heard it all before!?
Bleeding Through return and some how even more ferociously than when they left. Now lets get something straight from the outset. Brandan Schieppati has said in a recent interview that he still very much considers Bleeding Through to be a hardcore band with metal influences. So as you can guess this album is pretty much as usual for Bleeding Through peppered with breakdowns at every twist and turn, which for anyone adverse to the odd breakdown or twenty is not going to win them over. So anyone who didn’t like metalcore before, this isn’t going to change your mind. But moving on with breakdowns aside is the new record any good?
Bleeding Through with their past albums have always progressed their sound and brought in new elements. The melodic elements that were loved and loathed in equal measure present on The Truth, or the overbearing black metal influence that ran through the very core of Declaration. This time they have looked back to their past and put everything into the melting pot in order to create possibly the most extreme album of their career. Guitars are now handled by Brian Lepke and David Nassie after the departure of Jona Weinhofen and this is where the problems with this album begin. Although David Nassie is no doubt a brilliant new guitarist to replace the departed Jona Weinhofen, the album feels rushed in terms of the guitars and song writing. David Nassie brings his own flavour to proceedings with more 80s shred in his leads than previously heard, but it just feels as though the band have played it safe to a degree in order to put out a record while in the middle of a line-up change. Yes the album is more extreme but at the same time nothing that Bleeding Through haven’t done better on a previous album. You have raging pissed off number Fifteen Minutes with a closing breakdown and vocal line that is as heavy as a megaton landslide. Then there is Salvation Never Found which could have easily have been a track left over from the Truth recording sessions, or Light My Eyes which sounds like an early version of in loving memory of England from Declaration.
The rhythm section of Derek Youngsma and Ryan Wombacher as always provide an absolutely blistering performance with a special mention going to bassist Ryan Wombacher, who takes over the melodic vocals almost entirely this time round turning in a brilliant performance. As for Brandan Schiepatis performance. Vocally Brandan Schiepati leans further towards black metal territory this time around with Slow Your Roll’s vocals sounding in parts very cradle of filthish. And as always turns in a committed and passionate performance. But as with the guitars on this album the lyrics fall into a similar trap sounding somewhat like you’ve heard them before. Which as stated earlier the whole problem with this album.
Overall this album is good but nothing more, after the consistent improvement in their recorded material over each album this is a bit of a disappointment. Which while being on its own merit not a bad album, still sounds like a rehash of all their previous releases with lots of “heard that before” moments. An ok album from a band capable of so much more. Maybe they need a break? Maybe they need time for the new line up to settle? What this reviewer knows is if they keep taking steps backwards like this maybe their “fifteen minutes of fame will come to pass”
