BloodRose, a new black metal band from Finland, have been playing together since 1994. In 2000 they changed from Hatework to BloodRose, and changed styles as well. Finland is well known for melodic black metal lacking in intensity and harshness. BloodRose is no exception. The vocals, as is often the case, have the requisite harsh Dark Funeral edge, but the music… Retribute Records says BloodRose “has been impressing fans worldwide with their incredibly tight and impressive melodic black metal.” I have to agree with the impressiveness angle, but one could be misled with thinking them simple black metal. While “Shattered Dreams” has passages lifted directly from Dark Funeral’s “An Apprentice of Satan”, “Forgotten Chapter of Time” and “Final Darkness Falls” are more of a melodic speed metal, played fast, mid and slow, the second of the two being a lengthy instrumental. I generally go with a band’s own description, but as I said, Black Metal is inadequate.

The album opens with thunderous drums and growling vocals, moves on to melodic black with black vocals and sparsely used death vocals to technical death. The songs get softer in tone as the album progresses, and more intricate and more melodic. The final two songs are by far the best songs on the disc, mostly because they have an identity of their own. “Having combined both symphonic, melodic elements and all out frost-laden viciousness in their two-pronged assault,” as the press release states, actually works against them. the two styles are not really combined as much as both styles are used somewhere on the disc. Two things stand out. They are merely good at “frost-laden viciousness”, but much better at symphonic/melodic. Into Oblivion would have been a killer 26 minute four song mcd (the final four songs). Pick this disk up and watch out for the follow-up, it promises to be eagerly awaited. Fans of bands like Ancient Rites take note. Fans of bands like Mutiilation will find nothing here, which is a shame because this disc is worth finding.

[Visit the band's website]

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