Bloodiest
Self-Titled
Reviewed by: Max Miller
Let us all take a moment to say, “Bless Relapse Records.” In the history of metal, there has never been another label so dedicated to releasing boundary-pushing heavy music across all subgenres, and they’ve been at it for over 25 years now. I bring this up because I used to be hugely into metal, but got burnt out on a genre that can often be too traditionalist and narrow-minded for its own good. The majority of metal records over the past four or five years that have still caught my attention have been Relapse releases, and Bloodiest is the latest example of the label’s penchant for delivering the goods.
I never heard the debut album from the Chicago-based group (although now I suppose I’ll have to seek it out), but if it’s somehow more unique and gripping than their self-titled sophomore LP, that would be an astonishing feat. A supergroup of sorts, Bloodiest features Bruce Lamont of Yakuza on vocals and Colin DeKuiper of Russian Circles on bass — credentials strong enough that any forward-thinking metal fan ought not need to hear more. In fact, if that’s not enough to encourage you to at least give Bloodiest a listen, know that the album was produced by Sanford Parker, whose list of credits is truly staggering.
Bloodiest, like many exemplary metal bands these days, do not fall neatly into any of metal’s compartmentalized subgenres. If I had to narrow it down, I suppose I’d call their music “post-metal,” but more akin to the Neurosis end of the spectrum than the Pelican one. Guitarists Tony Lazzara and Eric Chaleff unite with DeKuiper to create hypnotizingly heavy riffs that serve as the backbones for songs like “Mesmerize” and “Broken Teeth.” More apocalyptic guitars are then layered on top of that, while Lamont practically preaches over the music with his doom-y croon. But really, no track is quite as immense as “The Widow,” on which multi-instrumentalist Nandini Khaund mixes pianos with Lazzarra and Chaleff’s minimalist acoustic and electric guitar textures for a slow-burning build-up to an earth-shattering climax pierced by Lamont’s screams and furious fills from drummer Cayce Key.
While Bloodiest relies on some instrumental filler in the form of “Condition” and “Mind Overlaps,” these interludes enhance the album’s compelling flow rather than detracting from it. On the band’s Facebook, Bloodiest list their genre as metal/classical. While this is no more specific than my own diagnosis of “post-metal,” it underscores the point that whatever Bloodiest are doing, it’s not quite like anything we’ve ever heard before.
Rating: Bad-Ass
