“A cleansing set in motion.”
To say you’ve managed to achieve near-flawless melodic core even once in your career is an impressive feat. To say you’ve not only done it once but six times—all while changing the focal point of foundational sound—is in a class entirely its own. Few bands across the modern landscape can rightfully declare their discography to be bereft of anything less than exceptional. Since 2005, Bleed From Within have been one such diamond in the sonic rough. Hailing from the scenic pastures of Scotland, the ever-consistent five-piece have garnered a well-deserved reputation over two decades as melocore connoisseurs. Some—including yours truly—say that Parkway Drive fell so that Bleed From Within could rise. Others simply point out that Bleed From Within have perfected their means of execution such that they seemingly continue to evolve with each iteration. Whether through a predestined ritual sacrifice of their influential constituents or pure Scottish blood, sweat, and tears, one thing is indisputably evident: Bleed From Within encapsulates stability to a degree scarcely observed. With those argumentative prospects in mind, you will be anything but shocked to learn that their latest installment, Zenith, is another prestigious entry into a catalog that somehow continues to breach the ceiling that every preceding release had set.
Fiercely akin to its title, “Violent Nature” sets the opening stage of Zenith with a volley of signature Bleed From Within chugs, riffs, atmosphere, and melody. Everything you have come to know and love about them is on full display from the very onset. Even better? There’s a mass swath of technical nuance spread throughout the track. With Ali Richardson, Craig Gowans, Davie Provan, and Steven Jones at the instrumental helm, we are at a point where variance in familiarity has become the Scottish soda bread and butter of Bleed From Within. Throw in a helping Scott Kennedy’s renowned Winston McCall-like dirty vocals, and there’s little to argue about how “Violent Nature” bombastically echoes to begin Zenith. When other melodic metalcore bands bring knives to a gun fight, Bleed From Within—time and time again—is there to welcome their opponents with a drum magazine-strapped firing squad.
If personification of Scottish culture was to ever make its way into a Bleed From Within track, “In Place Of Your Halo” is the fundamental showcase of that. You can probably—better yet, hopefully—see where this is headed. Bagpipe-infused metalcore is a notional fever dream that perhaps only Bleed From Within could not only dare to attempt but pull off masterfully. That is precisely what listeners are graced with in the closing minute of the second track. Tastefully layered over more of that excellent Bleed From Within technicality, “In Place of Your Halo” offers an appropriately transient salute to the group’s customary roots without overstaying its welcome. Not that we’d complain about hearing more.
As we arrive at the third and titular track, it should be apparent that Bleed From Within has carried over the same brand of mixing that many had enjoyed on Shrine. Even more so is the similarity in the delivery of harmonized choruses on “Zenith”. This formula carries over into “God Complex”, “A Hope In Hell”, and “Dying Sun”. Each song generously provides anthem-worthy ensembles atop plethorically melodic musicianship.
For those that have felt impervious to Bleed From Within’s shower of melodic lead so far, Zenith takes a menacing turn on “Immortal Desire”. Featuring the very great and powerful Brann Dailor of Mastadon, the aura of Zenith becomes more haunting compared to prior Bleed From Within material. Epic ambience throughout, “Immortal Desire” feels like a soundtrack for a treacherous charge into battle. This is swiftly followed up with “Chained to Hate”, that is naturally as violent as the metaphorical onslaught of the opposition. By now, Bleed From Within is making it very clear they intend on taking zero prisoners.
Melancholic atmosphere reigns foremost on “Known By No Name”. Blisteringly fast at times but still managing to suitably interweave with melody, the song is practically anathematic by nature of its title alone. Bleed From Within’s uncanny ability to transition from mosh-inducing blast beats and riffs to choir-like choruses is truly second to absolutely none. Unlike the song’s name, everyone and their mother will know who Bleed From Within are by the end of it, assuming they hadn’t already.
With “Hands Of Sin” and “Edge Of Infinity” closing out Zenith, Bleed From Within has saved their most divaricated pair of songs for last. With the former featuring Josh Middelton of Sylosis, we get more of what has made Zenith immensely backloaded. Breakneck-paced and extravagant as ever, “Hands Of Sin” embodies the root characteristics of Bleed From Within and their rapid jump to the vanguard of melodic core. By contrast, “Edge of Infinity” is the kitchen sink of experimentation. From acoustics to piano and everything Bleed From Within embodies in between, the final song closes Zenith on a sonorously high note.
Just when some may have thought that Bleed From Within would grow noticeably stale, Zenith has emptied the melocore magazine with plenty of rounds left over for later. As previously mentioned, Zenith is very much a back-loaded record. But it is equally important to note that the front bisection of the album is commandingly technical and refined in its own right. That makes for a demonstratively sound-forward record that—once again—has pushed the boundaries and potential of Bleed From Within’s marathonic pace and aptitude for evolving gradation. At serendipitous entry number seven, Zenith is Bleed From Within’s most progressive body of work thus far, and yet another testament to their capacity for sustainable creative efficiency.
8.5/10
Zenith releases on April 4th through Nuclear Blast Records, and you can preorder it here.