main for Five Finger Death Punch back in January. I was suitably impressed, so when this new album appeared on the horizon I jumped at the chance to grab a review copy.
Blood Mantra comes out on Monday 29th September, so there are plenty of other reviews already out there, and they’re mainly very positive. Add this one to the pile.
This is the second album from the reformed act and sixth overall, following on from 2011’s Carnival is Forever, and it’s every bit as hard-hitting, brutal and technically impressive as its precursor.
For a band who were a driving force in the creation of the technical death metal genre, it’s no surprise to find some impressive amount of originality amongst this new collection.
“Exiled in Flesh” kicks things off in a typically heavy style and is probably the least novel of the tracks, settling instead for being four minutes of fury.
A large dollop of groove and some decent solos are added into the mix by the time track three, “Veins”, is reached. In fact, this would be one of my stand-out tracks purely on the basis of its crushing intro which promises the earth… and is followed by a song that delivers. The title track is similarly mind-blowing and the whole album really flies from there.
My other stand-out track would be “Nest” as it’s just got a different sound from most of the rest of the songs. Layered guitars provide a banging rhythm while underneath is a constant buzzing drone, fitting in with the lyrical theme.
Having said that, these are just highlights on an overall very strong album. I doubt that anyone into this genre of music would be disappointed if they bought Blood Mantra.
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