Review: 05.2008

BY BLOOD ALONE
Seas of Blood
Jericho Hill Records JHR 7006
Style: Progressive metal/gothic
Sound: 3
Composition: 3.5
Musicianship: 3
Performance: 3
Total rating: 12.5

Don't let the album title deter you, this is interesting stuff. By Blood Alone imbues its compositions with variations in tone and tempo, symphonic atmospheres and diabolically clever lyrical twists, all within contextual emphasis on melody and solid song structures.

John Graveside's guitars are more content to provide tasty rhythm and texture vs. screaming leads -- a la Ritchie Blackmore, or the fellows in Iron Maiden. Keyboardist Jenny Williams' ubiquitous church organ and piano (especially the organ) lend to the gothic vibe that's more tongue-in-cheek here vs. serious shock value. Of minor concern is the ability of singer Cruella to project powerfully enough amidst some of the more raucous tracks. She's great when things slow down, as in the effectively creepy “My Dead Friend” and that nasty ditty about a mean little girl, “Little Lady Lillit.”

I really like the band's penchant for locking into galloping guitar-keyboard passages punctuated by ballsy symphonic crescendos. The disc's first two cuts, “Serpentarius” and “Wants Me Dead,” are sure to get your “blood” flowing in that regard.

- John Collinge