Angry Metal GuyDec 14

Upon a Burning Body – Blood of the Bull Review

By Dear Hollow

Upon a Burning Body is back, baby. Your favorite groovy Texans are ready to lay on the hurt with as many riffs as your ears can muster. Predecessor 2022’s Fury offered a no-frills attack that more substantially simplified the attack, recalling more the groove-oriented likes of Pantera or Lamb of God, as opposed to the longstanding comparisons to deathcore’s partyharders Attila and “fight everyone” breakdowners Emmure to whom they’ve been compared in the past. It seemed like a new direction for the San Antonio quartet, even if hindered by some grunge-inspired cleans and sporadic and uneven homages to their deathcore roots. Blood of the Bull tries to reconcile a new direction and a past that still haunts them.

Blood of the Bull is indeed Upon a Burning Body firing on all cylinders – although its direction remains questionable. Ruben Alvarez’s guitar work is immediately recognizable, a bluesy edge and layered rhythms with manic solos to boot, Tito Felix’s drumming is as unhinged as you’d expect,1 while Danny Leal’s vocals have returned to peak form, honed mids to complement his vicious lows – even bassist/vocalist Thomas Alvarez’s cleans are better than last go. In Blood of the Bull, poppier choruses contrast heavier to its breakneck riffs and metalcore leanings, leaving it slightly below Fury in its effectiveness but remaining a solid installment in Upon a Burning Body’s rodeo of a discography.

In many ways, Blood of the Bull exists as the band’s most experimental outing. While it channels Fury’s propensity for groove, Thomas Alvarez forgoes on the grungy tone almost entirely for the most soulful choruses the band has ever offered, tracks which often feature newfound synth in creeping intros or interludes (“Daywalker,” “Another Ghost,” “Living in a Matrix”). While the presence of these assets could potentially dull the teeth that Upon a Burning Body’s sound naturally possesses, they refuse to let that stop them. Their cleaner tracks feel bigger and more significant than ever before, albeit imperfect: the soaring melodies can feel shoehorned alongside groove or deathcore beatdowns, although the lyricism (for once) sometimes improves this issue (“Another Ghost”) and ruins it for others (“Reckless Love”). The mariachi returns full-force, a welcome homage to the group’s roots (“Sangre del Toro,” “An Insatiable Hunger”).

If the tracks with clean singing are risks with mixed payoff, then, when Upon a Burning Body conjures syncopated grooves and commanding vocals with memorable one-liners offer the best listening on Blood of the Bull. Furious shredding, wild solos, and Leal’s signature vocal attack offer a trifecta of headbanging goodness. No one growls profanity the way Leal does, and while it was noticeably absent in Fury, the “fucking” one-liners pump adrenaline (“Killshot,” “Curse Breaker”) while other tracks manage to feel kickass and brooding simultaneously (“Hand of God”), highlighting Upon a Burning Body’s vocal return to deathcore’s intensity. It can be odd and off-putting when songs that feature the most intense groove riffs can also feature those soulful choruses (“Daywalker,” “Living in a Matrix”), but aside from the aforementioned, these don’t feel as awkward as I expected.

Upon a Burning Body amps almost everything in its attempt to reconcile the old with the new, and if nothing else, the effort is noted. There is more than enough corny lyrics, ham- beef-fisted anthems, and soaring clean choruses aboard Blood of the Bull, but in this way, it feels more like Upon a Burning Body than they’ve been in a hot minute. Thankfully, if you can look past the flaws, the band’s seventh full-length is at its worst full of crunchy grooves, mind-numbing breakdowns, and jarring tonal shifts, but if that’s its worst – with Danny Leal and Ruben Alvarez leading the attack – that’s a worst I can get behind. Also, highlights like “Another Ghost” or “Daywalker” feel like flashes of potential not yet seen in lyrics or songwriting. For now, it’s Upon a Burning Body, love ’em or hate ’em: a whole lotta bull.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Self-Released
Websites: uponaburningbody.bandcamp.com | uabbtx.com | facebook.com/uponaburningbody
Releases Worldwide: December 5th, 2025

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🤘 The Metal Dog 🤘Dec 3

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Blood Of The Bull

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JulesOct 1

So, Jo Graham's "Blood of the Bull", third volume in her Borgia Sybil series, where we meet Giulia Farnese but with magical powers.

The second volume ended on a high note: Rodrigo elected pope, Giulia set up as his mistress and very much in love, the humanist faction in power.

Of course, there's a downturn.

Rodrigo has won a battle but not the war, and is indeed beleaguered by enemies. Giulia has to flee Rome, not seeing her baby daughter for months.

(1/n)

#BloodOfTheBull #Books2025

Show threadJulesOct 1

Rodrigo may love her but can't help cheating, and Giulia can't help being angry with him. She falls ill and is quite incapacitated for a time. Lucrezia has been married off glamorously, but it isn't what she wants. Cesare isn't getting what *he* wants anyway. And even the costume party Rodrigo and Giulia throw isn't a success.

Giulia doubts herself, her choices, her powers here, and that feels quite dark at times.

(2/n)

#BloodOfTheBull #Books2025

Show threadJulesOct 1

It's a lovely companion to Jo Walton's "Lent", coming at the same characters from a very different angle and with slightly different prejudices and preferences. I'd love to read fanfic of Walton's Savoranola meeting Graham's Giulia - unfortunately, I am not good enough a character writer to do it myself.

(4/n, n=4)

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Show threadJulesOct 1

But in the end, their powers of seeing and scheming prevail.

As in the last one, I'd have loved to see more of Giulia's powers, see how they work. We get tantalizing glimpses, but the main focus is Giulia's and Rodrigo's relationship. That's a weak point for me personally, because I find it slightly icky and don't want to read about their bedroom sports at all. But that's probably just me being prude.

(3/n)

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Show threadJulesSep 4

“And that is the difference,” I said slowly. “Evil twists everything to the eyes of hate. There are always two stories you can tell, the best one and the worst one. Everyone can play their best or worst self. The brave young hero can be bloody-sworded Achilles full of wrath, dishonoring the bodies of his enemies. The wise king can be the presumptuous tyrant. The loving wife can be the harpy and the bold maiden the stupid child.”

#BloodOfTheBull #Books2025

Show threadJulesAug 29

“I wonder what I’ll be patron saint of,” he said. His voice was almost normal. “Alum miners,” I said. “What?” “In St. Alexander’s day, the Vatican opened alum mines,” I said, as though I quoted from some tome centuries hence. “I know absolutely nothing about alum mining.” Rodrigo sounded bemused. “You will after a few centuries of being called on by alum miners,” I said. “Surely you’ll learn the business on the job.”

#BloodOfTheBull #Books2025

Show threadJulesAug 29

“Dionisio, I have been wondering if there is a way to ward the city.” “The city of Rome?” “No, some other city! Yes, the city of Rome,” I said. “As we warded the house during the papal election.”

And I see Girolamo, warding the walls of Florence.

These two. They'd have so much to talk about.

#BloodOfTheBull #Lent #Books2025

Show threadJulesAug 28

"Ercole of Ferrara is said to be quite charming. He invented the cat-flap, did you know?"

As a reader of Douglas Adams, I've heard that said about Isaac Newton, too 😂

#BloodOfTheBull #Books2025