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BLOODLETTER
A Different Kind Of Hell

Wise Blood (2023)
Rating: 7.5/10

Very much camped in the contemporary thrash metal void but with occasional nods to the Bay Area 80s scene, Chicago act Bloodletter unleashes its third full-length outing.

The band has certainly improved with each album, but their sound remains a rather frantic blur that will no doubt appeal to those thrash heads that dig stuff like Havok. The vocal snaps, the harsh pace of the guitars etc. are all very colourless and humourless in its bid for scathing extremity, so it’s difficult to get overly excited by such a bashing. However, I did feel some joy towards the melodic leads which streak through this offering at ear-stabbing pace. Bloodletter certainly bring a technicality too, so in spite of the relentless hammering there are numerous tempo shifts and wild, unexpected changes which lead you further into the pits of razor wire.

None of the tracks run longer than four minutes so that gives you an idea of the frantic process, but give this entity a few spins and you’ll begin to understand more about its aggressive contours. But what really strikes me about this album is how it boasts a traditional metal spine, and songs like ‘Blood Is Life’, ‘The Last Tomb’, ‘Bound & Ravaged’ and opener ‘The Howling Dead’ glint with a steely backbone. Even so, this remains a fast thrash record brim full of strong, speeding cuts in the form of ‘From Hell They Came’ and ‘Lord Of Pain’.

I guess my lack of excitement for A Different Kind Of Hell stems from the fact that this does feel so contemporary, but after several listens I have become more appreciative of its various levels.

Neil Arnold

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