Shudder.......I had a horrible feeling that with a name like Thy Bleeding Skies, that this would be more teenage, angst ridden mediocrity in the vein of the Bullet for My Valentine tosh that infects the metal media like a pus-ridden wart on the sweaty folds of humanity’s scrotum......but........joyfully, Thy Bleeding Skies are nothing of the sort (deep breath exhaled). With members hailing from Germany and Finland, they list some of their influences as Edge of Sanity, Hypocrisy and Katatonia, and the melodic influences of the some of the above bands can certainly be heard. The good news is, “Chapters of Downfall” is not a bad album at all.
“At The Edge” sets the tone for the whole album, with well-worked melodies from the guitars working away in the background beneath some aggressive dual vocals (both styles being handled effectively) This is swiftly followed up by “Curveball”, with the slow controlled intro; this kind of reminds me of the compositions that Mathias Lodmalm used to put together during his Cemetery era musicianship. There’s some nice harmony work thrown in once again, and flowing guitars in the middle (which wouldn’t have sounded out of place from Paradise Lost’s Icon) all adding up to this album becoming a bit of a grower.
The arrangement on “Chapters of Downfall” is of a high quality, and some of the songs are certainly a pleasure to listen to. “Die Ideale” has a nice groove to it, and this track in particular has a nice dirty sound; something which I would have liked to have heard a little more of as it is the perfect foil for some of the crafted harmonies. The lead guitar work towards the end of “Chapters....” is also impressive, and the timing of when the leads come in is just right, giving a welcomed change of tack.
And that is where the one criticism that I have stems from. The core of the songs are little too same paced; and not variable enough necessarily to keep the songs as interesting as they could be, which is slightly frustrating given some of the top notch musicianship being sent our way.
“Insomnia” is one of my favourites on this release, with the well timed calm developing into a swirling lead break that is sheer quality.
The closing pieces pretty much follow similar structures of layered melodies with infrequent bursts of chunky riff work, although closing track “Where Life Shall Grow” is a little more daring with the clean vocals closing this release with a bang rather than a whimper.
Thy Bleeding Skies have produced a decent album and one which showcases a band that clearly has talent. Hopefully, with a little more time and a bit more variation with the pacing, these guys can push themselves to the fore of the melodic, thrash/death market.
http://www.myspace.com/thybleedingskies
http://www.darkbalance.com
