ALBUM REVIEW: Bad Blood – SETYØURSAILS
SETYØURSAILS are back with their second album and if there is one thing the German metalcore band won’t do, it’s ease you into their world slowly. From the get-go, you’re in for a whirlwind of noise.
The album intro track and opener Bad Blood is a track full of fury. It’s fast-paced and heavy, giving it the perfect energy to open the record with. Packed with lyrics that are borderline cheesy – like “A little arrogant to think you could destroy my life” – it’s not a track that digs too deep, but you’ll find yourself singing along to it either way.
Best Of Me is vocally an undeniably fun track, with an addictive staccato intro that makes it a challenge not to headbang along to and a chorus that mixes a sickly sweet high note with serious shouts. The mix of screams, an intense whispered bridge, and a build-up leading into a heavy breakdown mean the song is paced perfectly, taking you on a metalcore journey that gives SETYØURSAILS a chance to show off everything they’re capable of.
The album has a lot of experimentation weaved into it, with plenty of electronic sounds to keep you on your toes. Halo is a great example of this. It’s another track filled with venom, following the raging T.F.M.F., Halo delivers lyrics like “I hope you know, I can see through your halo,” but what makes it stand out is a stripped-back build-up, layered over static sounds. It’s a welcome moment of experimentation that keeps things interesting in the frenzy that is the first four tracks of Bad Blood.
Lately mixes things up. Kicking things off at a slower pace, it’s a deeply personal track, detailing a harsh struggle with mental health. Deeply personal lyrics like “And if I die, wouldn’t that make it easy?” delivered over stripped-back, mimic-heartbeat percussion make the track an intense listen. But it pays off. Following the riled-up first half of the album, Lately really stands out and gets its moment in the spotlight.
To keep you on your toes, Lately is followed by a track that couldn’t be more different. Dangerous shows off a much more playful side of SETYØURSAILS. With deeply flirty lyrics, and equally as flirty drum beats, it’s impossible to skip. A near-three-minute earworm, it twists and turns through gentle, smooth vocals to shouted lyrics like “Make me go insane”. There’s so much packed into this bite-sized track that it’s easy to find yourself looping it to digest everything from the guitar solo to the pure aggression in a bridge that begs “Come on baby fuck me up!”. You’ll be shouting along to the track before you’ve even realised you’ve learnt the lyrics – this is sure to be a fun one to hear live.
This talent for playing with contrasts is what SETYØURSAILS do best. Heart Attack is another example of this. It’s another track that digs deeper lyrically, with lines like “Tell the voices they can’t bring me down.” Heart Attack starts off slowly, easing you into what you think is a gentler SETYØURSAILS song, showcasing Jules Mitch’s clean vocals with softer verses. Then, you’re sucker-punched with a rapid growled section around the halfway mark; it’s such an unexpected moment which is exactly what makes it work so well. The track then rollercoasters through a mass of electronic noises and breakdowns leaving you wondering what just happened, and ready to go again.
The album ends the way it starts, with a ball of fiery energy. Eternally is a beast of a track, throwing everything you’ve learnt about SETYØURSAILS in the last ten tracks at you in one go. Thick with electronic effects, revealing lyrics like “Take pills for company,” intensely paced build-ups, and climatic breakdown, before cutting abruptly to silence. If you wanted closure from SETYØURSAILS on Bad Blood, you’re out of luck. The best you can do is start the album again.
Rating: 8/10
Bad Blood is set for release on April 12th via Napalm Records.
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