With a name like Bloodbather, you’d be right to expect something pretty brutal. And the Broward County, Florida, band does not disappoint, with a savage concoction of chugging riffs and vicious vocals in a metallic hardcore meets deathcore sound they describe as “visceral, angry and powerful.”
The band initially started with some instrumental tracks written by Salem Vex. He shared the tracks with band member Jeff, who he’d toured with in previous bands, and they got to work on turning them into tracks.
And on the sound they’ve honed, Salem tells us: “If you’re interested in a band doing whatever we want, powerful lyrics with themes on betrayal and revenge, and just all around heavy music, check us out.”
Our latest taste of this is the intriguingly entitled As You Die, which represents a new chapter and restart for the band as Salem’s vocals are rejoined by former vocalist Jeffrey Georges. It starts out with a creeping little electronic noise but bursts into savage life with a huge cry of “Die,” then crushing guitars, a searing synth sound and wild screamed vocals “I know you’re thinking of me now, As you die.”
It continues in unrelenting fashion with plodding guitar chords and intense vocals flowing into another heavy chorus. High-pitched stabbing guitars add further unease then crushing chords support huge guttural screams to bring the track to a heavy conclusion.
On the track, Salem told us: “It’s been our best release as of yet, amazing reception. Expect a heavy song with influences from a variety of styles of metal and hardcore.”
As You Die is Bloodbather’s first release in two years since the equally vicious We Came And You Were Silent. It opens up with huge low-tuned guitars and stabbing guitar flurries under savage screamed vocals and don’t expect any relenting from that heavy intro all the way through to an absolutely wild outro! Check it out in the video here:
And if you like what you hear from these tracks, then the band also have two EPs that are absolutely packed with filthy hardcore goodness. From those, we especially love the savage Disappear and Void on their 2020 record Silence and the brutal Suicide Note and opener The Final Request from their debut record Pressure.
The latter opens up with a cool spinning guitar riff intersected with huge drum hits, which launches into a typically intense opening verse of screamed vocals “I am coming for your head, I have always prayed for this, Fantasising every move, That brings me closer to my wish, To end your fucking life” supported by cool stabbing high-pitched guitars and powerful drums and guitars. Check it out in the lyric video below, and we fully encourage you to go and check out the band’s impressive back catalogue.
Bloodbather most recently take influence from the likes of Thy Art Is Murder, Chelsea Grin and Whitechapel, while Salem tells us he is generally influenced by Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode.
And on what inspires them to write music, Salem adds: “Lyrically, usually life experiences and my outlook on life and people in general. Instrumentally, just things that sound interesting and make me feel something.”
You certainly won’t have to wait two more years for new Bloodbather material as the band are currently busy writing and recording their latest record with Hunter Young at The Swamp Sound.
You can follow Bloodbather on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and YouTube.
Listen to Bloodbather on our Spotify playlists GigRadar Core and GigRadar Metal
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