Bleed From Within - Uprising

Bleed From Within
Uprising
Century Media Records/E.M.I. Music Australia

If anything, I’ve always considered Glasgow (Scotland) based act Bleed From Within as a competent melodic deathcore outfit. Their two E.P.’s (2006’s ‘In The Eyes Of The Forgotten’ and 2007’s ‘Welcome To The Plague Year’) and their two full-length efforts (2009’s ‘Humanity’ and 2010’s ‘Empire’, both of which were released through Rising Records) were solid and likeable slabs of modern deathcore, but nothing truly groundbreaking or unique enough to make the band stand out as doing anything different from the deathcore scene’s leaders.
So when Bleed From Within’s latest effort ‘Uprising’ came across my desk, I can’t say that I was expecting anything too different from what they had delivered a couple of times already in the past.
Armed with a new line-up (Ex-Trigger The Bloodshed guitarist Martyn Evans joined vocalist Scott Kennedy, guitarist Craig ‘Goonzi’ Gowans, bassist Davie Provan and drummer Ali Richardson in 2011) and joining the mighty Century Media Records roster for their new album, it’s clear that Bleed
From Within have made some attempts to shake up the formula, which has resulted in an album that’s clearly a step up from anything they’ve offered in the past.
The album is opened up with a short ‘djent’ sounding instrumental piece entitled ‘III’, which eventually flows through into the follow-up track ‘Colony’. It’s on this track where you can hear the changes Bleed From Within have made to their sound. The melodic aspect of the band’s song writing has been given a little more emphasis, but not at the expense of Kennedy’s familiar caustic screams and growls. Elsewhere, the band seem to have focussed on delivering some impressive riff structures, and dispensed with many of the breakdowns that seemed to overwhelm their past efforts. Lastly, the production and mix on ‘Uprising’ is easily the best the band have had on any of their albums, which is a good thing. ‘Colony’ isn’t anything particularly new, but then it’s easily the best song Bleed From Within have written and recorded to date.
‘It Lives In Me’ (Which was released as a single in September 2012) is perhaps one of the album’s more daring sounding tracks with its mix of atmospheric passages and straight ahead aggressive moments, while ‘Escape Yourself’ and ‘Leech’ are without a doubt the most punishing and aggressive efforts on the album.
Elsewhere, ‘I Am Oblivion’ and ‘Devotion’ help give the album a little more diversity with their slower tempos, which serve to emphasise the intensity of tracks such as ‘Our Divide’ (Which is preceded by the short instrumental piece ‘Speechless’), the title track ‘Uprising’ and ‘The War Around Us’ (Which features a guest vocal appearance from Cancer Bats/AxeWound front man Liam Cormier).
In the past, Bleed From Within weren’t so much a terrible act, but more like an outfit that seemed to mimic those who came before them. But with ‘Uprising’, the Scottish act have managed to shake off comparisons to the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Carnifex and As I Lay Dying to emerge with a sound that’s a little more of their own making.
Overall, what ‘Uprising’ lacks in originality, it more than makes up in sheer listening enjoyment. Bleed From Within have finally taken the long overdue step up, and the results are worth the time checking out.

For more information on Bleed From Within, check out - http://www.facebook.com/bleedfromwithinband

© Justin Donnelly