Metal Band of the Week:

Black Thoughts Bleeding

November 1, 2009 by Kyle Brady
Tags: Band, Black Thoughts Bleeding, Metal, Music, Review
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Mix one part Through the Eyes of the Dead, one part Arch Enemy, two parts Soilwork, and stir with a dash of Dethklok flair - that's the musical recipe that Black Thoughts Bleeding, hailing from Germany, seems to have divined while forming their five-piece band.

Black Thoughts Bleeding falls into the same hard-to-define category of metal that many modern metal bands do, as they blend several genres into one coherent musical opus, but they likely could be categorized as melodic death metal, if it even matters.  Of their three-song demo, the song “Hearts Got Broken” is the weakest and most stereotypical, but the remaining two more than counter its effect.  The heavy, fast, and syncopated riffs that punctuate the verses are reminiscent of Arch Enemy’s past, but the guitars take a surprising turn into slower melody for the chorus, a tactic normally reserved for metalcore bands that manages to not illicit comparisons to Killswitch Engage.

The anthemic nature of the songs is what brings the melodic black metal label to life, even with the semi-depressing singing vocals that make appearances in the chorus.  The vocal range itself is impressive, ranging from the typical death metal growl to a more ragged scream that shifts into an uplifting, haunting melody delivery that brings to mind some of the talents of Devin Townsend.

Black Thoughts Bleeding is an intriguing example of how up-and-coming bands are blending genres more and more to greater effect, rather than sticking within a certain realm – in fact, this seems to be Black Thoughts Bleeding’s greatest strength, and what makes them stand out from the rest of the death metal crowd.  If this characteristic can be held onto during their rise to success, then many accolades will likely come.

Black Thoughts Bleeding just signed a worldwide record deal with Silverwolf Productions, and can be found on MySpace; their first full-length album, “Stomachion”, is set to debut February 12, 2010, and until then their EP is available online.

"Metal Band of the Week" is a weekly series, published on weekends, showcasing metal bands that get less attention than they deserve.
Kyle can be found on Twitter and MySpace, or reached via email.