Showing posts with label Bloodred. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bloodred. Show all posts

Monday, July 4, 2022

Bloodred/Ad ASstra/Massacre Records/2022 Full Length Review

 


  Germany's  solo  project  Bloodred  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  style  of  blackened  death  metal  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "Ad  Astra"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.


  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  return  on  later  tracks  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  album also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  On  this  recording  Bloodred  brings  in  a  lot  more  diversity  to  his  melodic  style  of  blackened  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fear,  anger,  sorrow  and  loneliness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  form  Bloodred  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shatter  of  Worlds"  ""All  Is  Bleak"  "Twilight  Falls"  and  "Ad  Astra".  8  out  of  10.


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Thursday, April 2, 2020

Bloodred/The Raven's Shadow/2020 Full Length Review


  Germany's  solo  project  Bloodred  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  style  of  blackened  death  metal  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  album  "The  Raven's  Shadow"  which  will  be  released  in  May.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  blackened  screams  also  being  utilized  on  all  of  the  tracks.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Clean  playing  is  also  added  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks    along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them. Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing    along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style

  On  this  album  Bloodred  remains  very  true  to  the  melodic  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  he  has  established  on  his  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  feat,  anger,  solitude  and  loneliness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bloodred  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Raven's  Shadow"  "Blood  On  Thy  Hands"  "Shadow  Warrior"  and  "The  Northstar  Whispers  (To  The  Blacksmith's  Son)".  8  out  of  10.

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Thursday, March 3, 2016

Bloodred/Nemesis/2016 Full Length Review





  Bloodred  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  album  "Nemesis"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  Atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  music  going  into  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  and  after  awhile  blast  beats  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  black  metal  screams  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  before  going  into  a  faster  direction.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  faster  riffs  bring  in  tremolo  picking  and  the  blast  beats  bring  in  more  of  a  brutal  style  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  a  touch  of  melodic  death  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  synths  are  also  brought  into  the  music  at  times  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Bloodred  creates  another  recording  that  takes  melodic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  brutal  death  metal  to  create  some  very  aggressive  sounding  music,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  written  in  German.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bloodred  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic,  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nemesis"  and  "Spirits  Of  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10.


 

Monday, September 8, 2014

Bloodred Interview


BLOODRED / interview answers by RON MERZ / A Different Shade Of Black / Webzine / 2014

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the release of the new ep?

Most of the time I've been busy promoting the EP, but I also worked on new music and reworked some of the older stuff as well.

2.Recently you have  released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

"The Lost Ones" definitively shows the more Black/Death Metal side of Bloodred. The title track starts with a typical Black Metal blast beat intro and then changes into a  more midtempo song with some groovy riffs. If you listen closely you can also hear some Thrash-inspired parts. "Spirits Of The Dead" is as close as I maybe will ever venture into Black Metal: fast paced with some epic parts and typical riffing. There are some really cool drum parts in it too.

3.The project has been around since 2009 but so far has only released an ep and a single, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during the 5 years?

I started Bloodred when I realized that my (former) band mates didn't share my musical taste anymore, since I was going into the more extreme side of metal. It then took a while to create a musical identity and to refine the sound of Bloodred. I wrote many, many songs which from a today's perspective have nothing or little to do with the Bloodred sound nowadays. But I was ready to spend this time, because I wanted - and still want - to create music, which is 100% me. No compromises!

I also needed some time to learn the basics of recording and producing your own music in the home studio. There are so much more possibilities today than 10 or 15 years ago. But you have to have the right equipment and the necessary software tools. Working with these tools is a real time killer too ...

4.On the ep you had some inspiration from Samuel Bamford and E,A Poe, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these poets?

It's not so much a special interest in those poets mentioned above. It's more that I'm always searching for lyrics about a certain topic that will fit to the music. What I especially like about these older texts is the use of uncommon words or syntax. Finally those writers are much better in finding unusual metaphors than I will ever be capable of.

The music is always first, so finding poems/lyrics that fit to the rhythm and the parts of the song isn't that easy. But when sucessful I find it very rewarding and it always adds to the whole song.

5.With the exception of drums you record everything solo, do you feel this adds to the creativity of the music?

On the one hand it surely adds to the creativity. There's no arguing about anything: musical ideas, songwriting, artwork etc. and this makes it all easier in a way. On the other I have the feeling that sometimes other opinions would be helpful in the process of songwriting. When your at a dead end maybe someone else would come up with the next riff or idea ... And of course: you can't play live when you're alone. I miss that a lot.

6.On the ep you had the drummer of Atrocity on drums and the singer produce the record, where you happy with what they have brought into your musical sound?

Yes, absolutely! Both guys are super nice and they helped me a lot. The studio is actually only a few kilometers away from where I live, so it was a obvious choice for the recording of the EP. Alex has produced many albums over the years and he has a very well equipped studio. He also helped me a lot when I was recording vocals, because of course he has great experience of being the vocalist in a death metal band. Alex also came up with the idea of getting Joris for the drum recordings. Joris was up for the task in no time and he did a great job. He really is a amazing drummer! He was able to play everything I had programmed and moreover added his own subtle drum patterns here and there.

But the best part of working with both guys was, that they always respected my choices and never tried to force anything. Especially Alex with all his experience was very supportive in every way. It's very helpful if you can learn from a person like him!

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Recording the EP in a pro-level studio is a first step and I think the songs and the quality of the recording are definitively good enough to send the EP out to the respective labels. I haven't received any interest from labels yet, because I think they simply don't know of Bloodred. But this will change in the not too distant future ...

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?

So far the feedback has been very good for most parts. What still makes a great impression on me is the fact, that I get feedback from all over the world. The very first reaction came from Australia, I got many messages from South America and even my friends up in the north in Iceland reached out with some great feedback. And this is one motivation of why I make music: I want people to react and interact! If they like it or not, I really appreciate every feedback.

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?

Currently I'm not planning to do a full length. There are first talks about recording another EP with two or three songs, but this is not carved in stone yet. If this will happen, the songs will show a more melodic side of Bloodred but they still will be recognizable as Bloodred. So far there are no major changes to the music in sight.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I'm listening to metal for over 25 years now, so I think that many bands or genres have left a mark on me one way or another. But I think some of my main influences are Emperor, Moonsorrow, My Dying Bride and early Amorphis & Metallica. Each band also represents a musical style that influenced me over the years. Generally speaking I think the music from Scandinavia influenced me the most.

Some of the newer bands I listen to are Skalmöld from Iceland (their new album is coming up in october), Eldkraft, Iskald or Vattnet Viskar.

11.How would you describe your views on Atheism?

I am an Atheist and for me Atheism is the absence of belief that any deities exist. I "believe" in reason and scientific evidence. And I think the late Christopher Hitchens was right when he said that "religion poisons everything". One can see this on a global but also on a local level, e.g. with the great influence the church has on so many decisions that should only be made by governments.

However I try to keep this topic out of Bloodred, because music should be fun in the first place. The only exception is the song "Enemies Of Reason" after the BBC series with the same name by Richard Dawkins. But as a person I try to be an advocate for a more secular society.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

In most of my spare time I'm actually working on music or other things concerning Bloodred. But with the start of a new season of "Game Of Thrones" or "Doctor Who" you can find me in front of the TV. I also read a lot or listen to audiobooks. Family is of course also a big part of my life.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

First of course I want to thank you for the review of "The Lost Ones" and the interview. It was a pleasure!

Secondly I want to encourage all of your readers to send me feedback to my music via Facebook, Twitter or the website. As I said earlier: getting in touch with people is a great motivation for me.

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Monday, September 1, 2014

Bloodred/The Lost Ones/2014 EP Review


  Bloodred  are  a  1  man  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released 2014  ep  "The  Lost  Ones".

  A  very  dark,  melodic  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  speeding  up,  adding in  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear  elements  of  death  metal  being  added  into  the  music  and  there  is  also  a  good  mixture  of  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  throughout  the  first  track  as  well  as  a  very  melodic  approach  to  black  metal  along  with  a  very  dark  atmosphere  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments.

  Blast  beats  and  fast guitar riffs  start  off  the  second  track  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  vocals  which  also  bring  in  death  metal  growls  at  times  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  doom  in  the  slower  sections  and  thrash  metal  in  the  mid  paced  parts  of  the  song  and  the  leads  which  are  added  into  the  song  a  few  minutes  later  are  in  more  of  a  melodic  musical  direction.

  Bloodred  plays  a  style  of  black/death  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  heavy  sounding  at  the  same  time  on  these  2  tracks  which  also  show  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bloodred  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  project  and  if  you  are    fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Lost  Ones".  8  out  of  10.