Bleed – Bleed Review

By Saunders

Record label dependability is a handy gauge for assessing quality in the crowded realms of the metalverse. The gauge isn’t always foolproof, but more often than not, a handful of trustier labels in the biz deliver on both quality and individuality. Pittsburgh-based record label 20 Buck Spin has championed many a fine band since its inception 20 years ago, boasting a diverse roster, currently including wide-ranging acts such as Fulci, Vastum, Slimelord, Bedsore, Tribunal, and Worm. It was a curious promotion of Texan band Bleed that piqued my interest. Even amidst the label’s solid variety and idiosyncrasies, on paper Bleed appear an unusual fit. Firstly, Bleed have no affiliation with the extreme sounds of many of their labelmates, instead leaning into a chunky and melodic alternative metal/rock sound channeling late ’90s and early ’00s vibes. Although carrying enough metallic clinks and weighty riffs, in many facets, Bleed fall into the metal adjacent category, bound to satisfy and repel this fine readership in divisive ways. With a solid 2021 EP under their belts, can Bleed add some fresh threads to an endearingly modern meets retro formula?

Nostalgia is a strong emotion in the music world, and Bleed ride those throwback feels hard across a tight and punchy collection of airy, spacey alt metal tunes. There is a deceptive versatility gushing from Bleed’s emotive songwriting. Shoegazing atmospherics, throwback nü grooves, Deftones-powered dynamics, and hints of Helmet, early Incubus, and Failure coalesce into a crunchy, riff-centric slab of moody alt metal. Bleed possess the chunky modern elements and fresh vibes to transcend mere throwback values. Furnishing fat riffs and fatter grooves with soft-loud dynamics, where dreamy, glistening melodies, subdued verses, and mellow breaks intertwine with nü flavored heavy rock and angsty alternative metal. The formula largely works to reel in the target audience, delivering a collection of compact, infectious, hooky delights.

Showing their hand from the outset, the chunky opening riffs and turntable scratching of opener “Climbing Down” deliver a retro trip. Bolstered by punchy riffs crashing over moody textures and an ethereal melodic sheen, the song plays on the band’s strengths. These recurring factors create the signature dreamy feel permeating the album, as Bleed prove talented musicians with a knack for hooky songwriting and tightly synced performances. Bleed’s formula it not overly complicated or flashy, yet they nail execution, the engaging melodies and catchy riffs creating a soothing atmosphere comfortable to get lost in. Keeping their writing on a tight leash, Bleed rigidly remain true to their formula, imbuing each song with individual character and throwing down the occasional curveball. “Shallow” dabbles in more subdued, acoustic-driven waters, featuring a chilled, almost hypnotic, psychedelic cadence, rippling with interesting melodies. The heavier vocal turns add a welcome edge to earworm nuggets on lead singles “Marathon” and “Enjoy Your Stay” (featuring Static Dress). Elsewhere, the riffs do the heavier lifting, driving the likes of “Fixate” and “Killing Time,” setting the stage for the shifting dynamics and enveloping melodies to take hold.

“Through the Cylinder” is another solid showcase of what Bleed do well, threading engaging melodies through an escalating arrangement, culminating in heavier vox and a bruising breakdown. Over the course of the album, singer/guitarist Ryan Hughes offers up deceptively earwormy, emotive vocal hooks, though his airy style may present as ‘whiny’ to some listeners, potentially being a deal breaker. The heavier backing screams and barks sporadically cutting through the mix create a pleasing counterpoint, and extra grit in the vocal department would be a welcome addition. Nevertheless, his chilled, emotive style has its charms, especially when coupled with the band’s sturdy riff foundation and floating melodic currents. Hughes and fellow guitarist Noah Boyce drive Bleed’s richly textured sound, combining subtle motifs, shoegazing vibes and cool atmospheric licks, with a memorable range of killer riffs and extra chunky grooves.

Bleed’s self-titled debut is bound to cause a buzz in the metal and rock scenes, while proving a divisive experience for many. As an impressionable youngster when the new millennium rolled around, with one foot in the extreme metal sounds and the other exploring the trends of the times, Bleed’s fresh spin on a retro sound forms a nostalgic, transportive experience with enough tricks and character to ground things in the here and now. And despite its flaws, Bleed’s endearing charms, muscular riffs, contemplative shoegazing, and subtly addictive hooks prove difficult to shake.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: May 2nd, 2025

#20BuckSpin #2025 #35 #AlternativeMetal #AlternativeRock #AmericanMetal #Bedsore #Bleed #Deftones #Fulci #Helmet #Incubus #Review #Reviews #Shoegaze #Slimelord #StaticDress #Vastum #Worm

For @DXMacGuffin's #ProgTuesday:

#Bedsore: A Colossus, an Elephant, a Winged Horse, the Dragon Rendezvous

https://song.link/i/1772918458

#ProgressiveDeathMetal

FFO #CosmicPutrefaction #Mitochondrion #VileRites

🔊 #NowPlaying on #KEXP's #SeekAndDestroy

Bedsore:
🎵 Scars of Light

#Bedsore

https://listen.20buckspin.com/track/scars-of-light

https://open.spotify.com/track/3wtJCLvTRtV4F72NHmQTxU

My records of 2024 (FWIW!)

#5 Bedsore - "Dreaming the Strife for Love"

Wonderful (as Blaine from Banger TV describes it) 70s, Death Metal Prog! Yes, an Italian sonic adventure akin to (as Blaine DOESN'T want to compare to) the Blood Incantation release from this year (coming up later). Great stuff.

#Bedsore #DreamingTheStrifeForLove #BloodIncantation #BrensReviews2024 #metal #prog #70sDeathMetal

Bedsore – Dreaming the Strife for Love Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

Fresh on the heels of other progressive death accolades in the comeback-record-sphere,1 Bedsore has staged a lesser-hyped return of their own. Four years on the books since 2020’s Hypnagogic Hallucinations, about which Ferrous Bueller proclaimed that Bedsore aimed “to be as creative as possible within the band’s preferred scope,” these Italian metal history buffs have returned not simply to their ’90s death metal-inspired roots. Trading logo-adorned garments and pit-tussled hair for amber-tinted shades and pressed, patterned shirts—buttoned enough to allow the tease of a scruffy chest—the Bedsore troupe has turned over not to expose a pustular dorsum but rather an ashen mound of patchouli and burnt flower. Though never absent of psychedelic leanings and progressive tendencies, Bedsore’s prior efforts still appeared death metal first. And now? The hippification is real.

Alas, dreams infect life with ambition. And in Bedsore’s grandest vision yet, they’ve attempted to interpret the classic Italian tale that shares a name, loosely, with this sophomore effort. Given the literary source’s mixed-language origins dating back to the 15th century, Dreaming the Strife for Love requires Bedsore’s new capital “P” prog attitude to even attempt to capture the necessary fantastical grandeur. While Hypnagogic Hallucinations foreshadowed the extended exploration of smoky room jam sessions through twangy amp tones and doom-weighted atmosphere, Dreaming unleashes the full fury of Italian drama through synths, synths, and more synths. Though not quite as horror-toned as their influential countrymen Goblin, the urge to drive with earmarked leads, fluttering segues, and occult camp holds strong in the halls that Bedsore has built with Dreaming.

All these new layers in the Bedsore identity arrive with intention, with unique timbres adding world-building motifs to what will appear, at first, a dense soundscape. In a long-standing prog tradition, Bedsore uses the drawn-out intro of “Minerva’s Obilesque” and first riff-based track “Scars of Light” both to pay homage to great works, like King Crimson’s Red or an Ennio Morricone score, and to introduce a few primary motifs that later tracks explore. And while that dedication to exposition covers a dutiful twelve-minute stretch, its worming characters, as promised, return in dramatic union (“A Colossus, an Elephant, a Winged Horse, the Dragon Rendezvous”) and vibrant swells (“Fanfare for a Heartfelt Love”). And though side A conclusion “A Colossus…” finds part of its footing in established pointers, it too finds a personification of its main players in low synth stomp (Colossus), wailing saxophone (Elephant), playful organ bursts (Winged Horse), and a Zappa-esque guitar squeal (Dragon), all of which come together in a swirling coda. It can be exhausting attenuating the onslaught of constructed sounds, but Dreaming’s colors unfold to those who can.

The total spectrum of sound through Dreaming appears lush at first and even tenth swipe, but its squashing of the mic renders one of its most dynamic elements flat. Dialed Mellotron refrains and delicate cymbal brushes remain bright and focal enough so that the hop to space or slide to calm never feel out of place—Davide Itri’s drum performance throughout shows a mastery of moody tom tumbles and malleted rolls, if a touch light in kick. But in the splendor of these bright intrusions, these marching and booming rhythms, and a lead guitar tone that just won’t quit, Jacopo Gianmaria Pepe’s blackened wail fades in and out of the mix, not for psychedelia’s sake either. As one of the few elements that keeps Bedsore’s toes in deathly waters, these shrieks and howls also can add weight to flighty ventures into Hawkwind patch overload or guitar-saxophone histrionic duels. Instead, and likely intentionally, they dissipate in the haze of instrumental experimentation.

Ever entrenched in cinema, the unique and Italian expression that Bedsore uses to build its prog poses a challenge to the extremity that persists in bursts. Yet, despite the complexity and labyrinthian storytelling that encompasses the Dreaming the Strife for Love experience, Bedsore maintains an effortless flair about every nook and cranny of this deeply planned affair. A band’s continued dive into progressive waters can often feel unnatural or clunky. But tight as the flared trousers that adorn the heroes of Bedsore’s ’70s reimagination, Dreaming in execution leaves little wonder that it could have been anything else. As a surreal tale with an eerie and open-ended conclusion, this sophomore endeavor has set the stage for Bedsore not to fester but bloom.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin | Bandcamp
Websites: bedsoredeath.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/bedsoredeath
Releases Worldwide: November 29th, 2024

#20BuckSpin #35 #Bedsore #BloodIncantation #DreamingTheStrifeForLove #EnnioMorricone #FrankZappa #Goblin #Hawkwind #ItalianMetal #KingCrimson #Opeth #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProgressiveRock #Review #Reviews

Interview: Stefano and Giulio of Bedsore

2024 has been quite an eventful year for prog, be it with the releases of incredible album's such as Ihsahn's self-titled, Caligula's Horse's Charcoal Grace, Job For a Cowboy's Moon Healer, or even on stage, with Mike Portnoy's long-awaited return to Dream Theater. Lurking in the depths of the Italian underground, Roman kaleidoscopic d

https://www.moshville.co.uk/interview/2024/11/interview-stefano-and-giulio-of-bedsore/

#Interviews #Bedsore

Album Review: Bedsore – Dreaming the Strife for Love

I’ve spent most of my life as someone who wasn’t into prog in any way shape or form. For me, prog was always this boring, meandering genre, which way too often got lost in its own tropes and compositions, creating a final product that was always an overcomplicated and tough listen. 2024 has been a t

https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/album-review/2024/11/album-review-bedsore-dreaming-the-strife-for-love/

#AlbumReviews #Bedsore

Back care of bedridden patients
Now patients who are sick or who lie down are more likely to develop bedsores on their backs. It is very important to take their nursing care. In that, sleeping them on a one side, using air belt or powdering, keeping them clean, keeping them dry are all very important in nursing care.

#backcare #bedsore #patients #injury #neurosurgeon #drravindrapatil #samarthneuro #superspecialityhospital #miraj #maharashtra

Aphotic – Abyssgazer [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Dolphin Whisperer

Evil. No matter what flowery progressive, flamboyantly triumphant path metal may weave, a large part of what attracted many of us, and a large part of what inspires creators, rests in distilling evil into dark vibrations, wallowing wails, and crooked melodies. Previously in this mindset, Italy’s Nicolò Brambilla (voice, synths1) and Giovanni Piazza (guitars) have presented this energy with cosmic funeral doom act Fuoco Fatuo, and contrastingly with the bursting and churning riffcraft of Brambilla’s 90s-inspired death metal troupe Ekpyrosis. Aphotic,2 born of this grime-crusted pedigree, swings with a ritualistic fervor from ripping blast to reverb-drenched howl to conjure the unique, reeking atmosphere that pervades Abyssgazer. Evil lurks in every phrase.

As such, Abyssgazer presents as the kind of echoing incantation that must ring through ears from first to last note. No mere synthesis of the acts who fed Aphotic into existence, this sometimes blackened, sometimes funeral doom-weighted, always death metal assembly expresses itself in a peerless manner. The cavernous kick pummels that split air to render space for discordant guitar screeches recall the thunderous energy of a lurching Immolation. The breakaways into bouncing rhythms with layered and resonant vocal chants recall the anthemic black metal of Rotting Christ, albeit with a bend toward the psychedelic. The hypnotic kit hammering and looped lead melodies exist as a twisted Godflesh instance manifested as a death metal sacrifice. In hands less mindful, and in engineering fine-tuned by Esoteric’s Greg Chandler—a mind of similar persuasion but much longer in phrasing—Abyssgazer could have flown off its experimental rails.

Instead, disarmingly so, Abyssgazer flows naturally from idea to idea, with each long-form statement having a strong central identity. A trio of world-building breaths intersperse the heaviest moments: “Endzeit I,” a slow percussive build before a shattering blast beat open; “Endzeit II,” an eerie, reverberating acoustic segue before an even squirmier post-informed eruption; “Endzeit III,” a menacing synth-scraping the hisses toward the punishing conclusion. As contemporaries to Bölzer and Tongues, Aphotic finds its death metal rooting not in loud, chunky chords but rather in snaking progressions that rumble through low-end tremolo drills (“Spectral Degredation,” “Depths Call Depths”) and whip with phasing arpeggio force (“Cosmivore,” “Chasmous”). Nothing summons the dark lord like a lumbering, hazy legato.

On early listens, though, equally due to loaded layers of ambient electronic and modulated metal elements, Abyssgazer may struggle to brand its choices into memory. It’s the journey that forms first: the brutalist bashing that kicks off the descent (“Spectral Degradation”), the bellow and choir that won’t stop ringing (“Deathward and Beyond,” “Horizonless”), the summoning dirge that announces collapse (“Chasmous”). The swinging riffs and recursive melodies stitch these points together (“Cosmivore,” “Abyssgazer”). Until a martial spirit reveals itself along the path (“Cosmivore,” “Horizonless”). Everything always moves forward.

Abyssgazer reads less like a grand novel and more like a short story, ultimately. Its tools well worn and non-gratuitous, the time that elapses over this debut’s course never feels overstayed. Aphotic has the power to warp time in their meticulous and death-carved hands. So as exciting as Abyssgazer lands, and much, in the same way, it lures the listener along, the next step along this band’s career promises even more.

Tracks to Check Out: “Spectral Degradation,” “Depths Call Depths,” “Chasmous”3

#2023 #Abyssgazer #Aphotic #AtmosphericDeathMetal #Bedsore #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #Bolzer #DeathMetal #Ekpyrosis #Esoteric #FuocoFatuo #Godflesh #ItalianMetal #NuclearWinterRecords #PostDeathMetal #RottingChrist #SentientRuinLaboratories #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023 #Tongues