By Matt Lewis
London, Ontario’s Baptized in Blood comes from a local scene that has exploded with bands and metal. They don’t have a lot to live up to though – so far the only bands that have broken out of London to grace us with their music is the horrible Kittie and the moderately sufferable Thine Eyes Bleed. Having released Gutterbound on their own and now having been signed to Roadrunner, BIB has a chance to redeem the London scene.
From the first track you can tell these guys worship the old 80’s glam and rock bands like Motley Crue, Warrant and Quiet Riot. They also show influences of old thrash like Megadeth and Metallica sprinkled in. Playing a thrash, metalcore infused style, the music is fun, dirty, rocking and has your head nodding from the get go. The album is chock full of big sounding melodic passages that work very well and suck you right back into the moment. The guitar work of Josh Torrance and Nick Bertelsen is quite good, sounding much more mature than a band so “young” with this being their first album. The songs are refined and tight, the solos well thought out in their back and forth attack. It reminds me of a mid-career Megadeth, with Dave and Marty trading leads. The vocals are a typical affair, screaming and shouting – nothing outstanding but don’t detract from the music.
Roadrunner has had an up and down roster list in the last 10 years with a history of signing new bands for great commercial success but lacked in actual talent. This band has the potential for commercial success but definitely has the talent to make a metal fan believe again. Sure Roadrunner has Opeth, Megadeth and Dream Theater, all recognizable names with talent but those bands weren’t hard to find or new. Roadrunner might be back on track for finding new talent and it starts with Baptized In Blood.
(Self-released)
Rating: 8.0
