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Emerging as a deathcore band in the late 00s, BLEED FROM WITHIN edged the metal world with a change up in their sound before going on a small hiatus in 2014, with Uprising being a hefty slab of uplifting modern metal that promised so much yet at the time, seemed to be a final hurrah. When they returned back in 2017, it began a run of albums that very few have been able to match, taking the band from the small stages of clubs and basements to support slots for the likes of TRIVIUM, SLIPKNOT and have made big waves abroad with their jaunts over to the States with AUGUST BURNS RED. Having been on an upward trajectory since their comeback record Clarity, surely lightning couldn’t strike a fourth time in a row?
By now, the Scots’ sound is well established. Scott Kennedy has a distinctive vocal style, powerful and raw yet able to soar with incredible hooks, Ali Richardson (also of SYLOSIS) is one of the best drummers in the metal game right now and Steven ‘Snev’ Jones brings the fire on guitar with some epic yet intense and incendiary riffs. Snev is one of the key reasons for the band’s form over the last few years as his addition to the band added a ridiculous riffsman to an already amazingly talented fold.
With the band’s best artwork yet adorning the record, looking like a particularly powerful Elden Ring talisman, it promises something sinister, something powerful yet enticing. Zenith itself is another modern metal masterpiece in the band’s catalogue. In a world where MACHINE HEAD and LAMB OF GOD, though still active bands, aren’t at their creative best, BLEED FROM WITHIN have joined TRIVIUM at the peak of the scene. Mosh parts? Tick. Face melting solos? You bet. Groove so hard that it could shake the fillings out of a Kaiju? Oh hell yeah. It isn’t boneheaded in its approach either; the band have grown much more adept at weaving melody and beauty into their brutality, though there isn’t a chorus on here that matches Levitate from the previous record Shrine, which is a shame.
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t arena sized moments on here. From the emotional lighters in the air moment featuring bagpipes on In Place Of Your Halo which tugs on the heartstrings and makes you want to take up a sword against the English in a way that can’t quite be quantified, to the monolithic stomp of God Complex which will be undoubtedly a set staple going forward. Another moment that, perhaps comes closest to touching the deific legacy of Levitate is A Hope In Hell which mixes moody, atmospheric verses with a rousing, anthemic chorus that will surely become a rallying call to those struggling in life.
The two high profile guest spots on the record yield fun results too. Immortal Desire features Brann Dailor of MASTODON fame and is a slower, more melodic number with a lovely dramatic opening and some frankly beautiful vocals. British metal legend (and Ali‘s SYLOSIS bandmate) Josh Middleton pops up on Hands Of Sin and is part of a no bullshit circle pit anthem with some great vocal interplay and some of the best riffs and drum parts on the record.
With having a defined sound at this pointed, it’s almost guaranteed that some tracks will sound similar and perhaps the formula will hint at becoming stale down the line, but the musicianship and willingness to mix in differing sonic elements puts paid to that, for the time being at least. There aren’t many doing modern metalcore as good as BLEED FROM WITHIN right now and amazingly, as with each previous record, it could even take them up another rung on the ladder as it rivals their closest peers in TRIVIUM for sheer quality and gives their last few records a run for their money. All the talk about future Download headliners focusing on bands who seem to struggle to maintain momentum needs to end, as BLEED FROM WITHIN have established themselves as the joint best metal act in the world right now.
Rating: 9/10
Zenith is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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The post ALBUM REVIEW: Zenith – Bleed From Within appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
