ALBUM REVIEW: Sons Of The Abandoned – Bloodhunter
Melodic death metal is one of the most technical subgenres to play. Most parts in any death metal track are incredibly rapid, and extremely challenging to play in terms of technique. This seemingly does not phase BLOODHUNTER at all. With an epic lineup of musicians all round, and fronted by well-established powerhouse vocalist Diva Satanica, the band are never afraid to show their skills, and this is fully evident on their fourth album Sons Of The Abandoned. The album is packed with massive sounding choruses and constant technical masterclasses from the drums to the guitar solos. Making for an epic listen that is captivating yet relentless.
The Devil’s Own kicks the album off and we get introduced to the old-school riff style the band have developed before things speed up with the first verse kicking off. Blast beats lead the verse into the bridge before the first truly guitar melody introduces the first of many huge choruses on the record. After the second chorus, which has the same guitar melody before it, the song slows down slightly for a truly classic melodic death metal sounding solo section. Once the instrumental part is over, we get a third verse which leads into the final chorus, which is where the track ends with a big ending similar as to what would happen at a live show if this song where to be played live.
Ephemeral Youth is the fourth track on the record, and starts off relentlessly with a rapid drum fill, and a first verse which flawlessly matches the pace of that fill. The chorus here arrives after the second verse, and once again sounds very old school. It is slower than the verses, and noticeably much more focused on the guitar melodies as opposed to the harsh vocals. This is unique, but this particular hook does seem a little out of place. Where this track truly shines though, is in the guitar solo. It is incredibly technical and is easily one of the best on the album. Once again, the chorus returns after this, with the return of the guitar riff that is played during the verses to finish the track.
The sixth song, No One Beats Death, is the longest one on the entire album, and it is just over five minutes long, automatically giving it much more time to develop and prove why it was put just about halfway on this track list. This track particular has a more traditional death metal sound, as it is far less melodic than the others so far, even though the chorus is yet another unique highlight. The guitar solo is phenomenal, and gives both guitarists a chance to show off their abilities as they duel with one another before a brooding, menacing riff takes over before the main riff on No One Beats Death returns, along with the final chorus. Easily marking this track as one not to skip.
The Path That Never Ends is automatically the most diverse song on this album as it is the only one with clean vocals on it. Featuring Laura Guldemond from BURNING WITCHES, she adds a dynamic element to this track which works with her supplying additional gutturals alongside Diva Satanica, but the chorus is plain odd and does not work. Nevertheless, the guitar melodies that kick the track off are sensational. When the harsh vocals come in, especially in the bridge, they sound the most intimidating they have so far on the album. Once again, the guitar solo showcases both guitarists Dani Arcos and Guillermo Starless in another spectacular showcase of skill, before the odd chorus comes in one last time.
The second to last song is Master Of Deceive and right off the bat, features blast beats and melodic vocal layerings of the harsh screams which is a nice touch to help make the song stand out. The chorus once again is incredibly melodic, and has that classic melodic death metal style which is just so pleasing to the ear. After the guitar solo, which is played in the same pace of the chorus, the final verse starts with that same vocal layering, before the chorus returns one last time, adding a key change when it is repeated, marking another stand-out track.
Overall, this album is very conflicting. The choruses and the guitar solos are amazing, and incredibly well written. The problem here is that some of the choruses especially, do not fit the tracks in which they are performed in. This catches you off guard, and at times, this ruins the flow of the overall tracks. But that takes nothing away from how exceptionally gifted each member of this band is, and how good these choruses could have been if they were swapped around the songs.
With Sons Of The Abandoned, each individual member has shown why they are still relevant. For Satanica, who has been a part of this scene for so long and has given so much to it, and for the band, who play with the same passion as artists three or four times their size, it has proven that they are ready to ascend, and to capture more blood than ever before.
Rating: 6/10
Sons Of The Abandoned is set for release on June 12th via ROAR (A Division Of Reigning Phoenix Music).
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