ASPHYXIUM ZINE

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Full Length Review: Bloodred "The Raven's Shadow" (Independent) by Corban Skipwith

Band: Bloodred
Location: Baden-Württemberg
Country: Germany
Genre: Blackened death metal
Full Length: The Raven's Shadow
Format: Digital album
Label: Independent
Release: September 25, 2020
In the dark corners of Germany, where the winter is harsh and the darkness more so you have a band that not only is immune to the scent of ‘fear’ but thrives off the unknown and dwells in the abyss.
The sonic prowess of a band this powerful cannot be overstated as they (using energy and sadism) to crush down all that oppose them, the sound of crunching souls heard with every step taken, closer and closer the screams are heard and chances of escape are a firm zero.
What makes a band like this so devastatingly effective is how they are able to combine the best parts of your traditional ‘Death metal’ elements and just with what seems like precise accuracy incorporate just the right amount of ‘Black metal’ flavor to twist the already brutal art of ‘Death’ and manipulate it to this new, relentless beast that plays off the violence and chaos of the former and that’s not an easy thing to accomplish.
The instrumentation of all the instruments leave me very happy as everything from the guitar to the drums it’s all so technical and creatively done which (in most cases) isn’t the case for either sub-genre being used here but they have decided to move things up a level and force all other contemporaries to fall in line because of how smooth, groovy and skillful the band is.
The vocal performances are impressive too! Those death growl, scream combination working perfectly with the production provided it’s just a match made in hell and you can hear the fluency and how well they sync, it’s something I always love to hear.
So, is this devilish record something to listen to? Two words FUCK YEAH. Corban Skipwith

Lineup:
Ron Merz: Vocals, guitars, bass
Joris Nijenhuis: Drums

Track list:
1. The Raven's Shadow
2. Immense Hall of Agony
3. Hör Den Tod
4. Blood On Thy Hands
5. Raise the Mound
6. We Who Ruled The North
7. Shadow Warrior
8. Under This Sun
9. The North Star Whispers (To The Blacksmith's Son)

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