By Kimberly Rosales |Staff Writer|
Death, revenge and disappointment are major themes in Bleeding Through’s newly released and seventh studio album, The Great Fire.
Bleeding Through blends melodic death metal, modern punk and symphonic black metal together well.
The band, which released The Great Fire via Rise Records, has a long standing reputation of staying true to what their music stands for.
Headbanger fans may rejoice to hear that the album stacks up well against previous releases.
Bleeding Through makes a long awaited comeback, according to fans who found the previous self-titled record disappointing.
The Great Fire’s fourteen tracks features melodic organs, hard hitting drum beats and heavy guitar riffs that help form a chaotic visual into any listener’s mind.
At first listen, Bleeding Through’s sound is not much different from other metalcore bands whose singers scream violently into their listener’s ears.
Upon further listening, the instrumentals grow stronger with every track.
Though the majority of the album’s tracks sound similar to one another, each song is masterfully crafted to set its own violent, yet haunting tone.
The lead track, titled “The March,” helps build anticipation of what’s to come, segueing almost seamlessly into “Faith in Fire.”
“Final Hours,” is one of the most notable songs with Brandan Schieppati’s chorus vocals sounding similar to Metallica’s James Hetfield.
One of the best songs on the record is “Trail of Seclusion.” It sounds different from anything the band has ever done.
The melodramatic lyrics and gothic melody inch the band more towards the black metal genre.
Tracks like “Faith in Fire,” “Deaf Ears,” and “One By One,” bring the cruelty that fans are used to.
The Great Fire is perfect for any true fan of Bleeding Through. The record delivers strong performances by all band members.
Lead guitarist Brian Leppke, drummer Derek Youngsma and Marta Peterson on keyboard are the standouts that give the band their edge.
The Great Fire is not without its weaknesses.
The majority of the songs are violent, with negative lyrics meant to incite feelings of brutality, revenge and reflect on Schieppati’s recent fascination with death, themes which have been beating a dead horse.
Song tracks titled “Everything You Love Is Gone” and “Goodbye to Death,” make it is fairly obvious that the album is a bit of a downer.
“We will fall /emptiness, doubt /into the depths of your despair /what are you willing to bleed out?” is from the song “Walking Dead” – lyrics that no doubt emphasize the sour mood.
As for anyone whose taste are entirely different than the hardcore genre, it is not recommended.
Most of the lyrics are difficult to understand due to Schieppati’s choice of vocal technique: screaming.
The lead singer can hardly be called a singer in comparison to legends such as Bob Dylan and Robert Plant but this is mainly due to Bleeding Through’s reputation as a screamo/hardcore band.
If you don’t have a tolerance for someone deafening your ears with screams, then The Great Fire is definitely not for you.
Bleeding Through’s newest record showcases the band’s devotion to its fans by making great headbanging music, but unless you’re truly passionate about the hardcore genre, The Great Fire is worth a listen but not the purchase.
Leave a Reply