Straightedge metalcore sensations Bleeding Through continue their mission to rock your face off and implode ear drums with their latest release Declaration. Combining heavy metal, death metal, punk rock, and even a little black metal, they have their own unique style that is just brutal, and that is an understatement. Having been around since 1999 the band was labeled one of SPIN’s 2003 “Artists To Watch” as well as have been featured in a Revolver “Future of Metal” article. This is the band’s third release on the metal label Trustkill Records.
Formed by members of other heavy acts such as Eighteen Visions and Throwdown, the band caught my ears when I heard This Is Love, This Is Murderous, the band’s first release with. I will never forget that day as my ears were introduced to just pure fury. I had just finished up a day at the record store and I was cleaning up getting ready to go. My friend asked if I wanted to hear something heavy and of course I told him to go for it. The moment he hit play on the CD player I was hooked.
This Is Love, This Is Murderous was in heavy rotation on my playlist for years. I was highly disappointed with their next release called The Truth as perhaps I was expecting more from such a strong intro to the band in This Is Love, This Is Murderous. I can not say I was that pumped to hear Declaration as I was afraid that their sound may still not compare to taste I enjoyed but that all changed once I finally checked out the CD.
The opening of the CD “Finis Fatalis Spei” was a black metal, evil circus sounding, melodic introduction that set me back for a second until a quote from the movie 300 ended the intro with “Tonight we dine in hell!” From there the CD was an all out mugging on your ears with “Declaration (You Can’t Destroy What You Can Not Replace)”. Death metal, heavy metal, black metal, and even speed metal combine for a powerful first song on this album with Pantera guitar hammering moments thanks to help from As I Lay Dying’s Tim Lambesis.
“Orange Country Blonde and Blue” followed, continuing a insane death punch to my ears. Again I can not help but be reminded of Phil Anslemo and crew in this track as well as 90s metal bands with the chorus. “Germany” really reminded me of Bleeding Through’s earlier years with just non-stop drumming and almost so much guitar that I felt as if the song flew by way too fast.
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