Bands may sound crisp and clean in the studio, but more often than not they sound like utter crap live. Sometimes it could be because of technical difficulties, but it’s easy to tell when it’s not. Surprisingly however, Bleed The Dream is a band that sounds as polished live as they do on CD. I went and saw them when they were opening for Anberlin and Emery (along with two other bands, but I would be embarrassed to admit I saw them live). They were impressive, full of energy, no technical issues, and a crowd that went crazier for them than any other band, besides the closing band who shall not be named here. At the end I met both the guitarist and drummer at the bar and chatted with them a bit before they signed a shirt of theirs I bought. I also purchased their first full-length CD, “Built By Blood”. Bleed The Dream is a post-hardcore band if nothing else. The music remains in the realm of one certain style, but never feels inapt. The vocals are smooth and for the most part clean, but sometimes there is screaming. The guitars harmonize together greatly and the bass and drums do their parts too.
“Legends Die” opens up the record expertly with each instrument coming in blazing accompanied by harsh screaming. This is actually about the heaviest the whole album gets besides the closing song. It soon goes into a slower tempo however and melodic singing takes over for a while, which is where the band really stands out during these parts. Bleed The Dream have made a record to successfully put their foot in the mainstream door. The record is perfect in length at forty-two-minutes long. Any longer and the record may have started to tear down the experience. Several songs would work well on alternative radio and Bleed The Dream could very well be the poster-boys of a new movement. Sometimes the album can be depressing although it is understandable, the drummer had Leukemia and died months after this was released. It’s plain to see that Bleed The Dream are already evolving compared to an earlier EP of theirs, which wasn’t the best so they can only get better from here.
Recommended Tracks:
“Legends Die”,
“Who’s Killing Who”,
"Just Like I Remember" and
“Taste The Change”