Recorded at Down the Drain Studios, Ronkonkoma, New York
Produced by Internal Bleeding and Frank Bones
Mastered by Tsun Tsun Productions
Video Credit: Washed Up Media, Sean Ageman
In memory of Bill Tolley (1974-2017)
Though I’ve always listened to Internal Bleeding on and off, they’ve gradually grown on me the past few years. The godfathers of slam are one of the first death metal bands to come from Long Island, and with Suffocation, Mortician, Pyrexia and Incantation they defined a genre that surpassed the aggression of thrash metal and laid the foundation for generations of brutal bands, proving the notion that taking that first step beyond perceived boundaries can make for lasting upheavals. Released in the wake of the tragic death of drummer Bill Tolley, the promotional video for their new song Final Justice is introduced with a dedication to the band’s longtime percussionist and friend who was there since their 1991 rehearsal demo. Releasing the video as a homage to Tolley has been met with an unfaltering outpouring of condolence and support from people who knew him. The song itself was composed to be the next stage of their evolution. If you wanted proof that extreme metal still has the capacity to elaborate on its past milestones, Internal Bleeding are refining their formula, tightening their trademark components of blast, groove and slam to form new arrangements for them. Old school fans will appreciate their hardcore and proto-DM influences being cultivated in similar fashions. All this is tightly compressed and the transitions between time changes allow for each new riff to build on the previous one. The delivery is such that you want to hear the song more than once. Independently co-producing with Frank Bones has allowed for the band’s primal expression to shine brightly, or darkly as the case may be. There is a depth in the sound that makes for a pummeling, demolishing presence with impeccable impact on the listener. The way the band’s heaviness is tempered with twenty five plus years of experience reflects their desire to capture their live sound and expand on their 2014 full length Imperium. Here the band live up to their reputation and their rabid fan base. -Dave Wolff
Thanks for the nice review. We appreciate it.
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