Bleed From Within have been one of the most criminally overlooked metal bands of the last decade. The Glaswegians have released several great albums but never quite got the praise they deserve. Perhaps the 6 year delay between Uprising and Era caused some damage but the quality of their work has always been so high. Fortunately this time we haven’t had to wait another 6 years for a new album. So how does their latest album Fracture compare to their previous albums?
I think it’s fair to say that fans won’t be surprised in the slightest when they hit play on Fracture. Bleed From Within have always been fans of the riff and this is no different. End of All we Know kicks things off with a bombardment off riffs before Scott Kennedy comes in sounding more aggressive than he ever has. One thing this album does is carry over and further improve upon the increased use of melody from Era. They certainly haven’t sanded down any of their edges, this is still savage but this just makes everything sound bigger. And this song still has a breakdown that hits like a sledgehammer if you were worried about things getting too soft.
It is the riffing that really steals the show here though. Craig Gowans is an absolute riff lord and Steven Jones has now settled into the band even more this time. The band are just to throw so many riffs around so casually, single songs are just packed with so many of them and every single one slaps. The occasional use of solos also adds to these songs such as on Fall Away. The solo just comes flying in and adds such a playful energy to the song and doesn’t outstay its welcome.
The highlight on the album comes from the absolutely brilliant Night Crossing though. Everything Bleed From Within are good at just comes together on this track. Scott delivers his best vocal hook on the chorus. The guitar work switches up between huge grooves and soaring melodic moments that just make the song sound so massive. And then Trivium’s Matt Heafy just shows up for a guitar solo cos why wouldn’t he? It’s absolutely one of the standout metal tracks of the year so far.
So whilst Fracture doesn’t completely revolutionise what Bleed From Within are about, it’s still another fantastic offering from them. There isn’t a single weak link in this band and any doubts they might have had that caused them to take some time off seem banished now. This is the sound of a band brimming with confidence. It’s an album from a band who clearly love metal too. And if you’ve got even a passing interest in metal and have never checked out Bleed From Within before then you owe it to yourself to check out Fracture, it is one of this year strongest straight up metal albums.
The new Bleed From Within album, Fracture, is out now on Century Media Records.
