Bloodchurn
Ravenous Consumption

October 2005
Released: 2005, Unmatched Brutality
Rating: 2.0/5
Reviewer: Madman

Bloodchurn are a new act from Unmatched Brutality Records. I can only imagine the collective groan at the name of the label. Anyway, Bloodchurn are a semi-new “brutal” death metal band from the U.S.. Why do I say semi-new? The band has actually been around for 7 years prior to releasing this debut album, RAVENOUS CONUMPTION.



Bloodchurn play your standard American brutal death metal, fast blastbeat sections meet slow groove/mosh parts with deep guttural vocals following along in all the prescribed places. This is the kind of stuff that got old in 1995 when just about everyone was playing it. Needless to say, “heard it before” is an understatement.



Low, downtuned chugging counts down to the album’s beginning. In “Conceived in Blasphemy” Bloodchurn follow the standards for their style. Bouncing from fast blastbeats to slow, almost crawling, groove riffs the song is meant not to let up on the listener. The band attempts to engage the listener with their brutality, but what’s brutal in a scene where this is standard? “Scavengers” has an, at least, enjoyable main riff. Unfortunately, with the amount of changes thrown about in the song, from busy blasts to open chords back to groove sections etc, it gets lost in the shuffle.



The caustic intro in “Skulldrug” is like many in this style, coming off as an instant barrage of noise before settling into the more tuneful groove riffing littered with pinch harmonics. At the 1:22 mark occurs are pretty interesting section, at least for myself. The band takes a stop/start, almost marching styled riff, played over simple double bass and with no vocals. Sure, the section doesn’t last long, but it’s certainly something a bit more enjoyable than the bands standard brand of death metal. The end of the album comes in “Gouge Your Eyes Out” which is probably the least typical sounding, at least to my ears. The opening riff maintains a certain sense of groove while filling quite a few notes within a very short section. The overall level of groove in the song tends to make it more enjoyable initially as it’s something one can find themselves nodding their head to without much effort.



Bloodchurn follow the predefined standards in their area of expertise. Are they good at it? It’s alright but not engaging or played with enough vigour to reel me in. Bloodchurn is a case of yet another band who needs to find more of their own identity and style.

Bloodchurn
Ravenous Consumption

January 2006
Released: 2005, Unmatched Brutality Records
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Gabriel C. Zolman

This is Death Metal. I just thought you’d like to know.

But seriously, this is excellent, riff-heavy, slightly technical Brutal Death that I found myself liking more and more as the track order descended.

If you’re looking for easy comparisons, there aren’t that many; I would say that it compares favorably to early Suffocation. But them, the songs seem far more “together” than many of Suffocation’s meandering compositions tend to be. Don’t get me wrong—you won’t be getting choruses or gentle acoustic passages, either—but these songs still seem like songs to me. Only the slightly generic “Scavengers” really wanders off the course for very long; everything else is ruthlessly technical, but refreshingly short and direct.

Easily the demographic here is going to be the Death and Necrophagist-loving technical death fiends who are busy downloading Pestilence bootlegs right now.

The guitarwork is detailed and the riffs complex; the vocals are impassioned, and never inappropriate. “Strings Of Sorrow” is a precise-as-murder highlight; “Dying Breed” is a cavalcade of menacing riffage, and classic Death Metal abandon. However, the record seems to best come together later on, with more (anti)anthemic fair such as “Gouge Your Eyes Out,” and “Born Without A Soul.” Both of these are vintage genre vitriol, through and through.

The only word of reproach that I would offer concerns the drums, which sound a little tinny here and there. They aren’t terrible; but there are still plenty of thumps and rattles that should have been smashes and thunderclaps. The cover is also a bit…um…special. Let’s just say that it fails to convey the seriousness of the ass-whooping contained therein. Compared to other Unmatched Brutality artists (the masterful Ingurgitating Obliveon, and the cruel fury of Massmurder), this has a far more “independent” feel, reminiscent more of recent releases by Lust Of Decay and Domination Through Impurity.

Ultimately, this is excellent for a debut, especially of this style. It isn’t perfect, but this band shows clear potential to be massively aggressive force in playing field of Death. This won’t be for all tastes; but Brutal Death fans are implored to seek it out. It seems likely that you’ll hear their names again…