Review: 08.22.2008
By Blood Alone
Seas Of Blood
USA - 2007
Score: 8.5 out of 10
This is definitely not what I was expecting to listen to and to be honest, my initial impression of their music was – to express it in a very delicate way – not the most positive one. Perhaps the label attached to my promo CD – Progressive Gothic Metal – played the crucial role in my being dissatisfied upon hearing “Seas Of Blood” for the first time, as I immediately started directing my thoughts towards one of the best albums in this music category, namely KINGFISHER SKY’s “Hallway Of Dreams”. Well – I thought – in comparison to the Dutchmen, the American band lacks power and some aggressiveness, the production of their album is worse (it turned my attention especially in the two first tracks which seemed to be recorded on a low-quality equipment), the musical arrangements are a bit poorer and the song-writing is apparently not at the same level.
This is what first came to my head after having experienced BY BLOOD ALONE’s music, but after a while a reflection came and I stopped thinking about this group within the framework of Progressive Gothic Metal genre (or Gothic Metal in general). Instead I just gave it a second spin and put aside the labeling matters for a future occasion, which resulted in discovering a band taking much inspiration from Goth Rock milieu and Progressive music (strangely enough, some parallels are being drawn between the Americans and ensembles like NIGHTWISH whereas their music has more in common with for instance INKUBUS SUKKUBUS and in the main with classic Goth bands). The elements from this first genre are present primarily in rather disquieting melodies delivered by the keyboards along with the band’s vocalist Cruella. While her voice does not generally distinguish itself on the background of most female singers, at least upon the first listening, it turns out later that it emanates with a sort of warmth and magnetism, which makes it an inseparable and crucial feature of “Seas Of Blood”. As for the keys, these are responsible for a number of sorrowful moments of which the ones in “Undead Friend” or the title track are most prominent. In certain fragments the key department makes an attempt at imitating violin/fiddle deepening their sad atmosphere. Otherwise, the listener gets quite a decent portion of Progressive influenced key sequences, which invokes the spirit of the 70’s and energizes the songs.
Setting focus on the guitar work, one will easily notice that the riffs usually constitute a background for the keys and vocals only rarely becoming more “visible” like in some solo fragments of the sixth, title track or in the relatively aggressive beginning of “Lovely Lies”. This characteristic of Americans’ release might actually put off a number of Metal fans from it, above all those who are looking for definite, strong guitar sawing in music. Naturally, it does not mean that more powerful moments do not appear on the CD – their role is just limited to a certain extent. It feels very often that somewhat more to say here has the bass guitar being a real pulsating heart of the compositions (its distinctive sound makes me at times think of groups like SISTERS OF MERCY).
Another thing that makes this album being classified among the dark acts of Goth music are the lyrics dealing mainly with personal issues, melancholy and emotions. However, BY BLOOD ALONE are not seeking inspiration exclusively in such matters but also in the field, which is usually being exploited by Viking Metal bands, namely, the Nordic mythology. The fourth album track reflects this interest perfectly as the lyrics regard the dragon Nidhogg that gnaws one of the tree Yggdrasill’s (the central place in the Norse universe) roots. Apart from the lyrics also the music itself might seem to be somehow related to the just mentioned genre, especially if we take consideration to the key section which generates here lively, absorbing folk tunes.
BY BLOOD ALONE are not a Gothic Metal band, their sound is not at all mighty or epic, and a Metal fan listening to this will probably have to show some patience and even slight tolerance towards this kind of playing, yet, given a few chances the American quintet will sooner or later put a spell on the listener forcing them to stay with the band longer and longer. If you experience such marvelous songs as the title tune it is impossible not to get engaged and to let yourself simply flow with the sounds coming out of the speakers. And I can assure you that there are more captivating tunes on this beautiful, intriguing and simply speaking – enchanting album.
-Sebastian-