ALBUM REVIEW: In Blood We Trust – Bloodtrust

One definitely couldn’t accuse BLOODTRUST of messing around. The Swedish five-piece only got together in April 2020, in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. They quickly set about writing songs, and now, after less than a year of existence, they’re ready to share their debut album with the world. The speed of the process alone is proof of the band’s no-nonsense attitude – something which also reflects in their music. In Blood We Trust is a short, sharp, rager of a record, comprising 11 tracks of uncompromising heavy hardcore.

True to form, BLOODTRUST waste no time in hitting listeners with both barrels of their crushing sound. Opener Our Streets does a good job of setting the stage for the record as a whole. It’s rammed full of chug-heavy riffs, catchy gang vocals and life-affirming lyrics about unity and looking out for each other. It also makes instantly clear that this album is sure to please fans of the raging hardcore of the likes of HATEBREED, TERROR, and MADBALL, among others. Vocalist Sebastian Spak adds real quality in particular, spitting his rousing lyrics with a savagery that befits the band’s music.

From here, it doesn’t take long to get a good idea of exactly what BLOODTRUST are all about. Second track We Have A Choice is another defiant sing-along, with chorus lyrics of “We have a choice, to raise our voice. Stand up and fight, take back your rights.” It also features some more metallic touches – a quality which goes on to rear its head from time to time throughout the record. Third track Suffer keeps the fiery momentum going and even injects the odd moment of melody, primarily from the lead guitars. Again, this is something which comes up elsewhere on In Blood We Trust too, perhaps most of all on sixth track New Dawn.

So far so good, but fourth track In Memoriam marks a particular high-point on In Blood We Trust. While it’s by no means a significant departure from its predecessors, it is a little more dynamic. At first, the band crash in and out as Spak delivers his ferocious vocal lines over a lone guitar. Then, after a brief bass and drum-led break, they tear into their usual crushing fare, made all the heavier by the moments of quiet that preceded it. The savagery kicks up even further in the song’s second half, with the tempo dropping into a final punishing breakdown. Most remarkably of all, they manage to get all this done in just over a minute and a half.

Of course, the band don’t let up from here either. Instead, they keep their brand of straightforward but hard-hitting hardcore coming one track after the other. Much like many of BLOODTRUST’s obvious influences, there’s definitely a sense that the record’s main purpose is to help fans learn the songs ready to scream and shout along to in a live setting. Perhaps the song which makes this most clear is the album’s seventh track, In Blood We Trust Pt 2. This one’s a short, swaggering rager, with a single simple lyric of “Never forgive! Never forget! In blood, we trust! In blood, we trust!”. It’s straightforward stuff for sure, but that doesn’t make it any less fun.

Indeed, BLOODTRUST rarely complicate matters on In Blood We Trust. There’s nothing on here that really breaks the mould or is likely to surprise its listeners. At the same time though, the band never really drop the ball, instead keeping the hard-hitting anthems flowing till the very end. Ninth track Enemies makes for a late-album highlight in particular. Once again, there are gang vocals, chugging riffs and chunky bass parts – none of it massively surprising, but all of it done to a high standard.

For some, BLOODTRUST‘s relative lack of innovation may be a problem. It’s fair to say that this is unlikely to be the record that wins over those who have never cared for this sort of thing. However, those listeners who already have a fondness for HATEBREED-esque heavy hardcore definitely won’t be disappointed here. In Blood We Trust is a sensible length, it’s well-produced, and it features plenty of massive gig-ready tunes. For a band like this, that’s pretty much all you need – let’s just hope those gigs come soon!

Rating: 7/10

In Blood We Trust is set for release on January 29th via People Of Punk Rock Records.

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