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Bloodiest: Descent

10/11/11 || gk

Bloodiest is a seven member band from Chicago fronted by Yakuza’s Bruce Lamont but thankfully not bearing much resemblance to that overrated band. Instead, what Bloodiest do is a sort of post doom metal noise that is equal parts melancholic and oppressive.

The album starts with “Fallen” starts with a mid paced tremolo picked riff as the song steadily builds into a mechanical dirge that vaguely reminds me of the more melancholic side of Neurosis and the clanging stomp of Swans as the original riff is buried in the background and guitars, synth, ambient noises and Lamont’s distinctive vocals swirl on top. “Coh” sounds like ritual music with sparse acoustic guitars and vocals that goes for an unsettling ambiance and succeeds to a large extent as the final part of the song effortlessly segues into “Pastures” which starts mellow and melancholic before the piano and Lamont’s vocals take it into a space that is vaguely reminiscent of bands like Giant Squid with its rich atmosphere combined with an evocative melancholy that really impresses.

“Dead Inside” is the centerpiece of the album as multiple layered guitar tracks start proceedings and build the song up before the melody is deconstructed and a discordant piano and Lamont’s off kilter wailing bring to mind something Oxbow would do. Lamont even sounds a bit like Eugene S. Robinson from that band on this song but its only a matter of time before the guitars come back and the song soars and the momentum builds relentlessly to give way to another tempo change as the drummer goes tribal, the keyboards play a gentle melody in the background, Lamont moans and the guitars do a superb slow burning build up complete with controlled feedback before the song closes with just the drums and keyboards gently bringing the listener down. This is one terrific song. “Slave Rule” starts gently with a moody melancholic feel to it and the combination of electric and acoustic instruments works really well before the band start to heavy things up around the half way mark before ending the song on a high. The album comes full circle with the last song “Obituary” which uses the same opening riff from the first album but in a completely different setting with an oppressive and charged atmosphere that is relentlessly heavy and downbeat.

I suppose Bloodiest is only on the periphery of heavy metal. The music is discordant, mostly mid paced and effortlessly combines gentle melancholic melodies with dissonant sludge. The musicianship is of a consistently high caliber and the songwriting is complex and progressive in the true sense of the word. Lamont’s vocals give the songs a distinctive and unique feel and often help in making things more memorable.

I was reminded at various times of Neurosis, Giant Squid, Oxbow and the last Swans album while listening to “Descent” but the music is actually greater than the sum of its influences. Bloodiest manage to sound original and captivating right through the 40 minutes on offer here and that is no mean feat for a band just making its debut. “Descent” is one of the best things I’ve heard all year and is essential listening for fans of the sludge, doom and post metal genres.

Information
Released: 2011
Label: Relapse Records
Website: Bloodiest MySpace
Band
Bruce Lamont: vocals
Sean Patrick Riley: guitars
Tony Lazzara: guitars
Craig Ackerman: bass
Cayce Key: drums
Nandini Khaund: keyboards
Steve Art: keyboards

Tracklist
01. Fallen
02. Coh
03. Pastures
04. Dead Inside
05. Slave Rule
06. Obituary

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