BLEEDING FIST
'Devil's Ferox'
(Moribund Records)
Hailing from Slovenia, Bleeding Fist has been a fairly busy band in the new black metal scene. Since 2007, when they formed, Bleeding Fist has released two demos, one split, one full length, and three EPs. Not an immeasurable amount, but not bad. 'Devil’s Ferox' is Bleeding Fist’s third EP, and when I saw that it was released on the Moribund Cult label, I couldn’t help but get a little excited.
Now, what we’re dealing with here is very obvious black/thrash. Not quite as blatant as Perversor, but they definitely wear their influences on their sleeves. The first thing I noticed was how average the vocals were. Not too bad, but definitely far from interesting. The drums, while you have the occasional, brief fill, were repetitive, and pretty uninspiring, even for black metal standards.
The next thing I noticed was a little more positive, and pleasing to listen to. On this EP, Bleeding Fist is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of black metal. One moment, you’re being immersed in a freezing, black pool of mesmerizing riffs and walls of fuzz, and then, before you have time to prepare yourself, the water is brought to a boil. The drummer kicks the song into high gear and brings it into Thrash mode, turning it from ambient to aggressive in the blink of an eye. Both 'Monuments Desecration' and the title track are prime examples of this.
But really, is this anything new? Whether it is or not would mean little to me, if at least the album wasn’t so formulated to the point of being able to predict every riff before it even happens. Atmosphere can only do so much. Bleeding Fist may have the ability to create a mood, but really, taken for what they are, these songs are a complete rehash of every early black metal band that ever recorded. They appear so scared to venture from the predictable classic black metal formula, and because of this, their music suffers from unoriginality and stagnant song-writing, just as I suffer from boredom listening to it. [5]
(Andrew Oliver)
No comments:
Post a Comment