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October 12, 2008 |
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01. Minion
02. Killtank
03. Paradigm In Entropy
04. Skin Un Skin
05. Leverage
06. The Martyr
07. Gated
08. God In The Frame
09. Division
10. Borrelia Mass
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Orange County, CA metallers BLEED THE SKY have just released their debut album "Paradigm In Entropy" (love that title!) Paradigm: an outstandingly clear example or archetype. Entropy: the degree of disorder or uncertainty in a system. Paradigm in Entropy: ideal disorder - and what a cool disc this is. I gotta tell ya, I really did not expect this, especially considering this is the band's first release.
Sounding somewhat reminiscent of, but not sounding like, the mighty masked men of SLIPKNOT, BLEED THE SKY do an incredibly good job of mixing harsh death vocals with very strong clean vocals. Singer Noah Robinson has some serious pipes and uses them very effectively. Guitarists Kyle Moorman and Wayne Miller provide a solid foundation of chugging, massive guitars for Robinson to soar over, while Austin D'Amond (drums), Casey Kulek (bass) and Puck (Puck? um...ok - samples and sequencing) hold down the bottom end to near perfection. I'm not convinced that this is the band's first album.
"Paradigm In Entropy" features solid, consistent songwriting throughout and there's not one clunker in the bunch. How can this be the band's debut? They play together so solidly and dont miss a beat. The occasional time changes break up the songs just at the right time, and each performance is bang on!
"Killtank", which was featured on the Concrete Planet compilation album, is a perfect tune to showcase what the band is about...the deathly growls, the trashy screeches, and the powerful clean vocals are all highlighted here. This song is a great snapshot of a cool band. The thrashy "Paradigm In Entropy" spews anger while "Skin Un Skin" is another great example of the band mixing up the harsh and clean vocals in wonderful fashion. "Leverage" has kind of a cool intro before launching into a groove oriented song with some very creative breaks throughout. I really like the harmonies found in the quieter verses of "The Martyr" as it shows that the band are really paying attention to the details in creating music. It works big time for me. Even the quasi-instrumental, wild piece entitled" Gated" is impressive. Though mostly an instrumental, there are some really cool vocal effects that breathe life into the music. This is not your typical hardcore instrumental piece whatsoever.
Now, normally I'm not a fan of instrumentals, unless it's a prog-over-the-top one, but by adding a little creativity and, I'll say it again, a wicked 'vocal', BLEED THE SKY have brought us a very haunting track. "God In The Frame" is a little more thrash than hardcore or death, but "Division" sees the band back in metalcore mode.
Throughout "Paradigm In Entropy", there is a lot going on and while some might say that the band is unfocused. However, I would disagree with that. I would say 'experimental' is a more accurate description of the band. I am really impressed with BLEED THE SKY and I wouldn't be surprised if this disc makes an appearance on my list of the best albums of the year. Yeah, it's that good!
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