If you’re not familiar with The Bleeding, well that’s a shame. Their previous two are quite good, but their new album Monokrator, is their pinnacle. Death thrash is best when it’s played with a sense of urgency, and they do that here. It’s almost like they stole a bunch of classified documents, stored them in their shitter, were searched by the FBI, and are pretty sure they’re going to prison. You know, we’ve all been there.

In case you haven’t, I’ll explain in a breathless, sexy whisper. Lean in. The first track, “Chemical Lobotomy,” is barely over 3 minutes. No intro, no frills, just immediate confident dick swinging. One of the first characteristics you’ll likely notice is the production, which is almost too clean. Almost. Heavy riffing, pounding drums, great bass sound, acid-drenched vocals, and a killer solo. What more could you want?

 

You probably want more badass death thrash, right? You’ll get it in all its glory on “Union of Horror,” which is one of the best tracks, but is also a re-recording as it appeared on early demos. In this one, the vocals take on a Mille Petrozza fronting a death metal band vibe. Except somehow still thrash? Look, I don’t know. It is nearly 4 minutes of relentless drumming and riffing. The lyrics are fantastic and slightly different in parts from the rest of the album. Be careful, though. Don’t stand too close to the speakers or the solos may melt your face. I wish there were more falsettos on this album, too because there’s a great one at the end.

There are none on the title track, but it’s still a mission statement. It’s 2 minutes in when the band breaks into a groove that they really should utilize more. After that, you can feel it’s going to break down into a solo, and they give you what you want again with a quick run that makes me think I should give up on the guitar. It’s been 20 fucking years anyway, man. Take the L.

After the title track is “Throes of Repulsion.” It’s around the same length as the rest of the tracks on the album and to tell you the truth, it doesn’t do anything different or tread new ground. The tease of a breakdown right before the solo is the perfect bruising setup. However, just like that, the song is over, and holy shit, that was the closer? God damn, that was fast.

As I mentioned before, this album is urgent. It’s immediate, confident, and crushing. It’s 8 songs in 30 minutes, which adds to this. It sounds like a band who know what they like, what they want, and are 100% in their element the entire time. If the album had been much longer, it may have worn a little, but it’s not, so it’s enjoyable for what it is. Redefining Darkness doesn’t miss, nor does The Bleeding, so I knew this would be a winner from the start. Just like always, I’m right.

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