BLEED FROM WITHIN
“FRACTURE”
Album Review by Chris Palmer

9/10

Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland comes Melodic Death/Groove Metal outfit Bleed From Within.

The band, consisting of Scott Kennedy (Vocals), Ali Richardson (Drums), Craig ‘Goonzi’ Gowans (Guitar), Steven Jones (Guitar) and Davie Provan (Bass), has been active since 2005. With debut album, “Humanity” being released in 2009, this five-piece has been consistently active within the scene, and a fourth full-length, “Era”, arrived in 2018.

On the 29th of May, the band released its fifth opus via Century Media Records, with the Glaswegians making the following statement: “The doubt and fear that consumed us for years have been replaced with an insatiable hunger to grow as people. We’ve noticed this shift in energy and channelled it into our music. As a result, our new album is the strongest and most uplifting we have ever written.”

How right they are too, because “Fracture” is an absolutely superb slab of Melodic Death/Groove Metal which sees the five-piece in top form. Running for over forty-two minutes, “Fracture” is divided into ten chapters of heavy monsters that are a delight to the ears.

Opening with an onslaught of heavy guitars, pounding bass lines, and pummeling drums comes “The End Of All We Know”. With its combination of brutal and melodic vocals, this opener really sets the mood for another top release from this quintet. And that mood continues, as they launch into the superb pit-inducing “Pathfinder”.

With the album beginning in such a superb manner, Bleed From Within might be forgiven for turning the tempo down a little. But, no! This heavy mob has better ideas with the severely punishing and outrageously outstanding “Into Nothing”. Arriving with powerful guitar riffs, the track gets you furiously head banging before those brutal vocals spew forth from the speakers. Driven by that powerhouse rhythm section, “Into Nothing” is one of the best tracks on offer here, and you’ll be accepting the invitation to repeat it numerous times.

A little respite is allowed as the track fades, before the furious “Fall Away” sends you into another stomping, head banging frenzy. With extremely fragile neck muscles beginning to ache, the punishment continues as the band lead you into the appropriately titled “Fracture”. With a slightly slower pace than its predecessors, “Fracture” rolls along with powerful rhythms, heavy drumming, and some terrific melodic vocals which accompany the more harsher style extremely well.

The second half of the album begins with the storming “Night Crossing”, which subsequently leads you towards the insanity of “For All To See”. With a running time of four and a half minutes, “For All To See” takes no prisoners with a punishing rhythm that will leave you breathless, battered and bruised, as it finishes with a flurry of drums. And it’s those drums that lead you straight into the monstrously heavy “Ascend”. With those familiar ingredients of a driving rhythm section, heavy guitars, and brutal/melodic vocal attack, this superb number pounds the senses into oblivion, leaving the ears bleeding.

“Utopia” arrives with another bout of neck-snapping riffs and powerhouse grooves. This penultimate number will leave you feeling breathless, yet in a state of perfection before album closer, “A Depth That No One Dares”, blasts from the speakers in epic style.

It has to be said that, overall, “Fracture” is an album that sees Bleed From Within teaching a lesson in how Melodic Death/Groove Metal should be done. With its perfect blend of brutality, energy and melody, this album certainly sees these Glaswegians eradicate those previous doubts and fears, as they have released one of the strongest albums of 2020 so far. This is one heavy album that is well worthy of your attention.

TRACKLIST

The End Of All We Know
Pathfinder
Into Nothing
Fall Away
Fracture
Night Crossing
For All To See
Ascend
Utopia
A Depth That No One Dares

https://www.bleedfromwithin.com
https://www.facebook.com/bleedfromwithinband

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