Bleeding Through and Ljå...

I can't believe I'm going to post about Bleeding Through since the almost disgusting level of massive hype that Trustkill Records has been able to generate around "The Truth" makes me gag—not to mention the fact that this CD has already sold a shitload of copies, so they certainly don't need my help, but whatever. Somehow I actually dig some of these songs, and the video for "Kill to Believe" is actually kinda cool. That damn chorus got stuck in my head like a motherfucker for some reason, and actually made me curious to check this thing out when it hit my P.O. Box. So yeah, it's definitely a shitload better than their last record (which I fucking hated), but... it's just not a big deal. I mean, come on now, this is pretty far from the "trend-proof middle finger toward the glut of over-saturation that threatens to destroy a scene this band helped to build". And despite what the band may seem to state in interviews, they were not among the first to blend these metal and hardcore styles (though I suspect them to have been wronged by some slight misquoting in some of those "big cover stories", to be honest): They were just one of the first to get "popular".

I'm still not down with the whole fashion/image-conscious thing, and the lyrics are still too goofy for me in many instances (I'm all for blunt rage, but when it comes to painfully literal blunt rage about heartbreak... it just seems silly and overly immature on occasion). Aside from one pretty painful ballad ("Line in the Sand"), which does have its tolerable moments (it's just that the singing isn't strong enough to carry it), the improved production values and greater reliance on thrashy riffing and harder speeds/power chords wins me over from time to time. Plus there's just better songwriting all around, and the instrumental title track is actually pretty fuckin' slick with its dissonant chord phrasings—I love that kind of shit. Overall the singing portions of the vocals aren't quite "there" yet, but it does work in most areas, though the harsher shit definitely comes across as more comfortable. The keyboards make a lot more sense on this album, too—though honestly I still think they'd be better off tossing 'em. In the end their approach still falls too close to overdone contemporary metalcore for me to really get into a lot of it, but... there's still hope for this band yet. Oh, and the photography used for the layout is pretty badass, I have to admit.

Bleeding Through "Kill to Believe"
Bleeding Through "The Truth"

I don't imagine many people reading this are Bleeding Through fans, but if you've been swayed, just buy the disc online and hide it once it arrives so you can keep your shame tightly bottled beneath the surface. Just rip it to an iPod and label all the tracks "Cro-Mags" to keep your reputation intact... and make sure not to turn the headphones up too loud!

The End Records
Trustkill Records