I have to admit, I’ve had a soft spot for Bleeding Through ever since a friend of mine brought a copy of “Portrait of the Goddess” back from a trip to the states. Yeah they weren’t doing anything amazingly inventive, but what they were doing was about twice as fast as everyone else, and I’m a sucker for speed. This time they recorded with Devin Townsend, who I bloody love –- so my hopes were pretty high. This album is their last for Trustkill, in what appears to have become a tempestuous relationship –- a blog by the band stated the label hadn’t paid for the album, and that the band were refusing to hand over the masters until the matter was sorted. It revealed the band’s desire to leave the label because of lack of funding, unpaid royalties and the re-release of their last album without the band’s consent. All-in-all, it seems like the things weren’t all that happy in the Bleeding Through camp during the recording. So has it affected the outcome? Well… no. Not in the slightest in fact. It sounds exactly as you’d expect really –- break-neck riffing, throat-scraping vocals, pinpoint drums and silly keyboards in the melodic sections. They still gallop along like no-one else — the punk drumbeat/death metal riff combo makes me smile every time — and they still mix their hardcore roots with death metal grandiosity better than most. The only real difference is the change in guitarists. Replacing Scott Danough with Jona Weinhofen (ex-I Killed The Prom Queen) has lead to two small adjustments in sound: firstly, the solos are a smidgen better and tad flashier, and secondly not every phrase is ended with a pinched harmonic. Even though I kind of miss the cheesy squealing at the end of every riff, if anything it lets the guitars flow a bit more. Vocalist Brandan Schieppati sounds as fierce as ever, and there’s slightly less in the way of clean vocals this time round. I’m still not taken by his melodic vocals –- they may have gotten better technically, but tonally he sounds more and more like he’s shredded his throat. One other point of note is the constantly improving keyboard/synths. Long gone are the one-note-held-for-the-entire-choruses, and now there’s even full orchestration such as on ‘Finnis Fatalis Spei’ and the title track. It really does add something to the compositions, and makes a great counterpoint to both the clean and growled vocals. Picking out the best tracks is difficult, as truth be told there isn’t a huge difference between any of them – but that also means there’s not much filler. Saying that ‘There Was a Flood’ is particularly theatrical, with stabbed strings and creepy piano, and ‘Beneath the Grey’ bursts forth after a brief interlude, marking itself out as probably the heaviest track. ‘Sister Charlatan’, the (predictably extended) closer, is also a great track. Starting with a quiet, remorseful intro of clean guitars and cello, it turns electric on a dime, and then erupts into one of the fastest verse riffs the band has ever penned. The chorus is a whole new level of epic for the band, and there’s a great harmonised guitar solo too. Sadly, what should be a pretty solid continuation of form is actually not all that enjoyable to listen to, thanks to a subpar mixing and mastering job. Not only is every instrument compressed to within an inch of its life, but then the track as a whole is too. What little dynamics the band has are wrecked, as the epic moments and gentler parts are both just as brash as the full on thrashes, and the drums teeter on the edge of being too robotic. On top of that, the whole mix pumps like mid-90’s dance track in places –- the snare cracks the guitars sink into background for a split second, before the snare’s decay brings them charging back up to the front, and the keyboards and vocals feel like they’re fighting for the same space. It makes it tiring to listen to and hard to concentrate on. You have to wonder if it’s in part down to the label shenanigans that surrounded the release. It also needs to be pointed out that this CD has the weakest snare sound I think I’ve ever heard. There’s no punch at all; it’s all high frequency snap with no body. That aside, this remains a damn fine album. Despite being surrounded by copycat metalcore acts, Bleeding Through have managed to craft their own unique sound — and even though it hasn’t advanced a great deal since their major label debut (2003’s ‘This Is Love, This Is Murderous’), with every record the song writing gets neater and leaner. This is another batch of consistent, technically proficient metal songs played at stupid speeds, with just a touch of variety and a few changes of pace to keep things interesting. The issues with the sound are a real shame, as it’s just about the only thing stopping this album from being their strongest yet –- but it’s still enough to prove once again that they deserve to be top of the pile.

A brutal and thrilling declaration that slays all in its wake. During the making of Bleeding Through's latest album, the bad had a much-publiscised spat with Trustkill, their American label. This isn't normally the sort of thing that makes for great album but Bleeding Through have actually created a bit of a corker with "Declaration," their fifth album. "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" was a great album but "The Truth" was underwhelming so it's a relief that this album is faster and heavier than their last. The gothic, atmospheric instrumental "Finnis Fatalis Spei" begins proceedings in fine fashion (although it's slightly spoiled by a cheesy "300" soundbite) before launching into the ferocious "Declaration (You Can't Destroy What You Can Not Replace)." Speedy black metal cymbal drumming and intense vocals give way to possibly the heaviest beatdown ever put on record. As a declaration of intent, it's stunning. Bleeding Through's mixture of metalcore, black metal and deathmetal is intoxicating. Credit should be given to the keyboard skills of Marta for making this album so immersive while Devin Townsend's production is crystal clear without being overly slick. Bleeding Through have simply never sounded better and "Declaration" explodes out the speaker. The first three songs after the intro are astonishingly heavy and entertaining. There are a couple of less intense tracks on here with clean cocals but it's doesn't feel like the lighter songs outstay their welcome. Despite their issues with their label, Bleeding Through have come back in better shape than ever and have created the best and the most adrenaline-charged album of their career.

BLEEDING Through have been constantly on the cusp of greatness. They've often come close to making a truly great record but have been guilty of being too one-dimensional, sticking far too rigidly to the dreaded hardcore rulebook. Declaration is the sound of that rulebook having its pages ripped out and set on fire, as Bleeding Through have delivered not only the best album of their career but one of the best to arrive this year. For starters, Brandan Schieppati puts in the most brutal vocal performance of his career, sounding like his diet has consisted solely of razor blades for the past few years. He should also take credit for ditching the uninspiring sung choruses that blighted the band's The Truth album, with Declaration benefiting greatly for being a more straight-up, bludgeoning affair. The key component that makes Declaration the band's highlight thus far, though, is keyboardist Marta Peterson's improvement. Whereas the keyboards on previous Bleeding Through releases have sounded more like a gimmick than an integral component of the band. Declaration is given an added dimension through the eerie keyboard stabs and gothic passages that pepper the record, best heard on the album's highlight, Germany. Dare it be said: this extra dimension makes Bleeding Through have more in common with the symphonic black metal Dimmu Borgir than the Throwdowns and Hatebreeds of this world. Experimental, progressive and, above all, crushingly heavy, Declaration is the tour de force Bleeding Through were always capable of.

Partway through Declaration’s Nightmare Before Christmas influenced opening track "Finnis Fatalis Spei”, you start to get the feeling that Bleeding Through are taking a turn towards the melodic hard rock tendencies their Orange County brothers, Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu, have taken. After a good two minutes of uncertainty you remember, these are the same metalcore pioneers that wrote the genre defining This Is Love, This Is Muderous, it would be impossible for to become pansies. Declaration explodes with the same vicarious intensity in the title track, “Declaration”. This song is what any fan has come to expect from the sextet, but at an angry more ferocious pace. Even tracks like “Death Anxiety” prove that the band can replicate their trademarked aggression but songs like “Orange County Blonde and Blue” experiment with a European vibe that melds in perfectly with their hardcore formula creating something much more captivating. Even the sensational synth work of “There Was A Flood” presents an epic introduction followed up by the bands rudimentary brutality and transitions yet again into an powerful melody. Declaration is without a doubt heavy as hell which is something you can always expect from Bleeding Through, but it also marks the first time that the band has successfully implemented a number of new factors into their music. The melodies and clean singing are transitioned in smoothly and the keyboards actually give the songs that extra push that lacked in previous releases. Declaration pushes Bleeding Through sonic abilities to the brink of brilliance, a trait we’ve come to expect from a band whose been around for nearly 10 years.

Bleeding Through have been plenty angry lately. The result is Declaration, easily the best they've offered in years. The album is a thinly veiled blast of hatred towards the powers that be channeled through 12 tracks of thunderous, beastly hardcore full of aggression, desperation and dissatisfaction. But, while the album captures the band's ferocity and malicious intent, it's not simple. Bleeding Through are still wily enough to incorporate technical bravado and unique song structures that echo death metal's girth, hardcore's rumbling breakdowns and Gothenburg metal's aural sterility. Bolstered by such crisp production values and all-encompassing influences, Declaration is a powerful dirge of metal-influenced hardcore that pulls no punches, leaving a mass of sonic upheaval in its wake.

It just happens way too often that I’ll hear a band attempt a really cool concept that doesn’t pan out. That’s what I really felt when I bought “This is Love, This is Murderous” back in 2003. It was a great idea, essentially merging black metal, death metal, and hardcore all in one, but unfortunately the execution came off a bit cobbled up and pretty boring. Fast forward up to 2008, and guess what? They worked all the bugs out! The intent of some hardcore kids to seamlessly blend death metal and symphonic black metal has worked out! In fact, the metal elements have been cranked up huge with tons of bay area thrash riffs backed up by hardcore d-beats and death metal blast beats with fully roaming keyboards has come to fruition. The keyboards actually do play an important role here, and don’t stick out like a sore thumb (which happens pretty often). For standard action, there’s the supporting keyboard choir sound, but organ effects, symphonies and piano runs are utilized fully, and all the time. On the previous efforts, vocalist Brandan Schieppati’s shout was often distorted, but this time he comes through clean and clear (yes, it is important for screaming to be clean and clear to those “but you can’t understand what they’re saying” people). There’s also some singing that shows up in the chorus of the songs “Sister Chalatan”, “Death Anxiety” and in the ballad “The Loving Memory of England”, which is nothing but a clean guitar tone and Brandans lone voice. Pretty cool and stripped down. I’m always amazed however how many times I actually have to bring this up - the single note breakdown. Other bands have added much more colour and variety to their own music by figuring out other ways to make crowd-involving songs. If you ever wanted to hear the perfect blend of black metal, death metal and hardcore, with a we bit of thrash, all melted together with panache and hooks, “Declaration” has that. Of course, it also has moments that halt a rolling song in it’s tracks to beat up one note - and not in a good way either. Single note breakdowns - a sure fire way of preventing the album from outliving this decade.

Throw on Declaration and check our “Beneath The Grey” and you’ll see that Orange County’s Bleeding Through haven’t softened up one bit on their new release. The music is more aggressive and has a lot more attitude. Sure, Vrandan Schieppati (vocals) does provide a few melodic vocals here and there but most of the time he’s in your face. The rhythm section of Derek Youngsma (drums) and Ryan Wombacher (bass) are fast and furious while Marta (keys) adding a symphonic backdrop to the thundering wall of sound. Guitarist – Jona Weinhofen and Brian Leppke – fire back and forth between spitfire riffs and brutal breakdowns. Check out “Death Anxiety,” “Germany” and the pounding “Orange County Blond and Blue.” Bleeding Through has definitely made a statement with Declaration that they’re not slowing down anytime soon. That’s great news for metal fans.

BLOODY METALCORE: Following on from the viscerally potent Portrait of the Goddess (2002) and This Is Love, This is Murderous (2003), 2006’s The Truth was somewhat of damp squib in the Bleeding Through canon, which though wielding all the facets of their black metal tinged brutal metalcore sound, lacked the bite of heir previous releases. This, however, has been remedied by Declaration, which is the bands most overtly violent and in-your-face release to date. Kicking off with the sweeping gothic instrumental “Finnis Fatalis Spei,” the radio-friendly warning bells start from Slayer’s school of supreme hatred and driven by frenzied drumming-the latter of which magnificently over - amped for extra punch by producer Devin Townsend- this is for the most part a breathless and brutal romp through dark territory. As has long been the case, vocalist Brandan Schieppati wields a decimating scream while his deviations into clean vocals fall a little flat, but, the two songs that stand as both the most melodic on the album and feature this style most prominently _ “There Was a Flood” and “Sister Charlatan” –are propelled by powerful enough dynamics to ensure that the impact of the savage racket that rages all around them is by no means undermined.

When you think of the best bands in metalcore these days, Bleeding Through does not exactly rush into your head. Critics on webzines, blogs and the like tend to favor more fashionable, technical outfits such as As I Lay Dying and The Dillinger Escape Plan. While Declaration might be an album that creeps under the radar; it has nice subtle touches without excessive screaming with a touch of creativity. The new eight string guitars are just one of these subtleties. The fret exploration of guitarists Brian Leppke and Jona Weinhofen is striking as a result. The riffs are unpredictable and take advantage of the greater amount of sounds at their fingers. It is great to hear a metal album devoid of the boring guitar work which just sounds like it is trying to blow the listener's head off (See Job For A Cowboy and Whitechapel). The other cool element to the album is the keyboards. The dual keyboard and guitar solo in “French Inquisition” is a real rewind moment. Some of the better keyboard parts from Marta Peterson resemble more recent works of Between The Buried And Me. The keyboards and softer vocals create a black metal vibe over the album. One thing Bleeding Through have always done really well is the grisly, brutal intros. The band is really straight to the point at times with their heavier parts. “Finis Fatalis Spei” would not sound out of place in a Max Richter album if it were not for the somewhat over the top keys. The tense strings are then held out to the infamous line from Dilios in 300, “For tonight, we dine in hell!” “Declaration (You Can't Destroy What You Can Not Replace)” now kicks off like a boxer hitting you in the face, with Schieppati's relentless vocal assault and Ryan Wombacher's cymbal heavy drums. The same keys from the intro are replayed as the album fades to a climax as well, which adds a lot of character and even a sense of narrative to the album. The keys and grim mood create quite an epic feel to Declaration. “Sister Charalatan” is the best showing of this. The softer melodies in this song create such a murky and black atmosphere. Schieppati's clean vocals feature utterly beautiful production. The opening parts of the song sound absolutely massive. The technique of one guitar playing on its own before the harmonising guitar and other instruments come in sounds great too. This also gets the music sounding a lot heavier once the whole band is playing. The great thing about this is that it just sounds like Bleeding Through and no other band. The hefty guitar chords in the breakdown are met with the only clean piano parts on the album with no other effects. This might sound a little odd at first, but makes for a really diverse sound. It also creates the clever effect of sounding both beautiful and viscous at the same time. The black metal esque strings and keys may not be for everyone, plus the common “I hate you” Get the fuck out of my liiiiife!” theme in the lyrics is a little cringe worthy at times. However, the gloomy ambience coupled with sheer aggression in Declaration is really unique. Bleeding Through's music stands alone as it is not always driven only by its metalcore riffs, which is a positive as the riffs are not always that memorable in the first place. This album throws a few new ideas into the mixer and will definitely still be worth listening in upcoming months.

With their newest album Declaration, Bleeding Through have officially mastered the art of creating beautiful, melodic, dark and powerful music without selling out or becoming formulaic. Their heaviest release to date, Declaration certainly stays true to its name as a fist in the air gaping mouth scream of heartbreak, frustration and anguish. “Finnis Fatalis Spei” opens the album featuring Marta (keyboards) with a haunting and captivating introduction that brings to mind the soundtrack for Edward Scissorhands or any other Tim Burton movie for that matter. With the tension building nicely near the end, it flows perfectly into the next song, “Declaration.” This track wastes no time in initiating your ears to the commanding and powerful sound that Brandan (vocals), Brian (guitars), Jona (guitars) Derek (drums), Marta (keyboards) and Ryan (bass and backing vocals) have achieved on every track on this album. What’s impressive is that this powerful sound resonates in mood and tone even during quieter moments. The word emotional has tons of negative connotations when used to describe metal music and unfortunately this description tends to discredit the music even before it’s heard. This is the case because so many have used contrived rage to sound angry and fit the mould of what metal is “supposed” to be. Bleeding Through has indirectly managed to annihilate the posers simply by creating an album that is heartfelt and uncompromising. From the gloomy symphonic-sounding opening track to the final “Sister Charlatan,” Declaration sets itself apart as a tormented and enraged account of suffering and madness that is both melancholic and aggressive. Bleeding Through have undoubtedly pored their souls and countless hours of hard work into this one and the result is by far one of the best albums this year.

“Tonight… We dine in hell!” Pretty apt. This ubiquitous quote from ‘300′ serves well as the appropriate punctuation to the brief instrumental prelude as well as being the perfect bridge into the aural assault that’s about to be unleashed. The title track ‘Declaration’ opens the proceedings at a blistering pace and there’s no real let up, aside a few meaty breakdowns, until we reach the magnificent ‘There Was a Flood’. One of my faves on the album, it teases with the ominous and haunting opening as though it’s going to delve into ‘Perfect Circle’ type power ballad, only to fire up and then give minimal respite with a catchy melodic vocal. Fittingly, the first single ‘Death Anxiety’ has the characteristic melodic formula reminiscent of ‘The Truth’, but at the same time it’s heavy riff is a good insight into the direction of this new work. Follow the lyric sheet, and it’s clear there’s some serious anger issues coming to the fore here. At times, my untrained ears find it hard putting bands and their music into genres and I may well be wrong, but this ‘Bleeding Through’ release seems to be veering the band more and more into the realms of Death Metal. As much as I have loved all their previous efforts, it’s possible that at times maybe I was just tolerating the thrashier parts of the songs waiting for the more melodic vocals to kick in. On ‘Declaration’ though, this emphasis on melodies has been stripped back and while still present, what remains is a brutal album with substantially more aggression and punch. You have to hand it to Devin Townsend, what on the surface may appear to be an unusual band-producer pairing, has ultimately resulted in an album that after just one listen, will have you thinking your epididymis couldn’t possibly be wound any tighter. Contender for one of the top releases of 2008.

The press release for Bleeding Through's new album, Declaration, has all the proclamations every metal band puts in its publicity. Words like "heavier," "darker," and "angrier" are tossed out like corn feed in a chicken coop. The same was true for the Orange County band's last album, 2006's The Truth, which turned out to be fluffier and brighter than anything the band had previously done. This time around, however, the word on the street isn't just hype. Declaration is heavier, darker, and faster. The album harks back to the band's volatile beginnings, but with more precision and instrumental clarity. Thank producer Devin Townsend for the excellent production. The stellar drumming is shoved into the spotlight, and the synth work has scaled back on its growing cheese factor. While much of Declaration is a step forward, it's not so experimental that it'll scare away loyal fans. The title track is dangerously close to black metal, and Brandon Schieppati's vocals are often reminiscent of Lamb of God's Randall Blythe. Unfortunately, the album loses steam as it rumbles toward the end. While the first half is loaded with lacerating tracks like the scathing "Orange County Blonde and Blue" (one of the fastest songs the band has ever recorded) and "There Was a Flood" (with its trademark heart-on-its-sleeve chorus), the latter half is pocked with noticeable fillers like "Seller's Market" and the irrelevant instrumental "The Loving Memory of England." All in all, it appears that the grumbles over how Bleeding Through lightened up on its last outing might've gotten under the members' super-sensitive skin. While Declaration isn't a classic, it's a move back toward what made the band such a force to begin with.

If you wanted the truth and picked up Bleeding Through’s last album, you soon found out that it was washed over with overbearing synth work and even more Emo sensibilities than the album before that (their breakthrough This is Love, This is Murderous). The cover and liner notes promised a graphic representation of unbridled rage, yet delivered something a tad bit fluffier. Perhaps the grumbles and mutters of us fans got under the Orange County quintet’s sensitive skin. Their latest offering, Declaration, brings the band back to the blunt ferocity they were embraced for in the first place. While a majority of bands lighten up with age, Bleeding Through sounds as if they’ve gone back to the drawing board, or at least back to their Portrait of a Goddess days, and re-discovered some of the brutality that made their blood boil in the first place. And no, it doesn’t sound forced. Declaration is not a recycling of old material nor a simple step forward. It’s a step over. They’ve stepped over the shortcomings of The Truth and found an invigorated spirit on the other side. Slightly evolving to avoid the “one show pony” label the title track takes their sound more into the black metal genre than what’s only been flirted with before. Following right behind that is what ranks as one of their fastest songs yet, “Orange County Blonde and Blue.” Of course, this song as well as others such as the Lamb of God-like “There Was a Flood” have pop-metal choruses that are sure to keep them stocked at Hot Topic. Thankfully, the amount of cheesiness has been turned way down. Give thanks to producer Devin Townsend for this. On Declaration he shoves the stunning drumming in the spotlight, rightfully so, and downplays the keyboard harmonies that were threatening domination. Don’t get too excited. Bleeding Through is still Bleeding Through and typical of their style, the steam starts to run out towards the end. Anchoring the second half are obvious fillers such as “Seller’s Market” and the flat instrumental “The Loving Memory of England” which has little to no relevance in context with the rest of the record. In all, Declaration might not be considered a classic and to say it’s a reawakening would be a stretch, but it certainly quells any fears that BT was going the way of other bands (to be left nameless…ever seen The Neverending Story?) and selling out for a higher spot on the Billboard chart.

Whatever doesn't kill them only makes them stronger. Having teetered on the brink of great things for the past few years, it's time for Bleeding Through to either shit or get off the pot. Declaration could well be the album that finds the Orange County metalcore monsters picking an almighty loaf. The band took a massive leap forward with 2006's The Truth, not so much in terms of intensity but certainly in so far as their ingenuity, creativity and lack of fear for melody. But with Declaration, Bleeding Through have pushed the boundaries of metalcore even further and finally sound like the unique, genre-defining band that many have long felt they were. The orchestral"Finnis Fatalis Spei" serves as an introduction before the album bursts into life with "Declaration (You can't destroy what you cannot replace)." It's immediately apparent that Strapping Young Lad front-loon Devin Townsend has done a stellar job from behind the production desk; the band simply sound huge, the guitars are face-melting and Marta Peterson's keyboards are more prominent than they have been in the past. Brandan Schieppati's vocals are passionate as ever, particularly on album highlight "Sister Charlatan." Declaration is the song of a band surfing a creative wave. Hopefully they'll ride it for some time to come.