Review Summary: Summary: Purgation displays Trigger The bloodshed's potential. If they continue to improve on their next album, and add some variation, it is very possible that they will become a force to reckon within the death metal scene.
Trigger The Bloodshed:
Purgation
+Lineup at the time of recording:
Charlie Holmes – Vocals
Robert Purnell – Lead Guitar
Martyn Evans – Guitar
Jamie O’Rourke – Bass
Max Blunos - Drums
+Current lineup:
Johnny Burgan – Vocals
Robert Purnell – Lead Guitar
Martyn Evans – Guitar
Dave Purnell – Bass
Max Blunos - Drums
In the days when the current metal scene is repeatedly over-saturating itself with bastardised creations such as 'metalcore' and then 'deathcore', it is refreshing to see that there are still a number of bands who are willing to buck the trend and risk losing popularity by sticking to their roots and relying on sheer musicianship and talent rather than gimmicks or fashions.
Trigger The Bloodshed (TTB) are one such band.
Formed in the UK, TTB are a plain and simple death metal band. They have forged a tight knit playing style honed through endless touring. This is clearly showcased on the album Purgation.
“Purgation” is the band’s debut release, however upon first listen you are attacked by a heavy and relentless assault which bands with a number of albums under their belts would be jealous of. The album starts with the intro track “Inception” which only last for 18 seconds, morphing from an atmospheric fade-in to a walls of guitars and blast beating ending in a growl which flows into the next track. It only really serves as an introduction to the album. However it is reasonably effective and prepares the listener for what is to follow. In fact, what follows is 16 tracks of unrelenting death metal. Whilst the devoted approach to pure death metal is welcome to hear, it does become rather stale by the middle of the album. Not to say that the tracks are weak, all of the tracks are of a high standard, they just follow the same blueprint and more or less blend into one another.
With regards to the instrumentation, all members perform to a high level.
Firstly the guitars:
Tracks such as "Laceration" and "The Abortive Becoming" feature precision riffing by both the guitarists Jamie and Martyn with a large number of tremolo picked riffs and some hard chugging sections. There are also a number of breakdowns, but these mainly serve as breaks in the tracks, rather than focal points around which the songs are built. There are also a number of solos scattered through the album. They are usually rather tasteful and fit the context of the track. They are of standard each metal style, sweep picking, scale runs, tapping etc. Clearly Jamie earns his title as lead guitarist.
As expected with modern death metal the drums are of very good quality. Heavy amounts of blast beats and double bass patterns abound. There are also a number of decent fills which help to keep the tracks fresh and keep the listener on their toes. My one major gripe with this album is the lack of bass. This is not usually very common with death metal albums, and those au fait with predominant bass will be disappointed, however Jamie does a good job of keeping the low end of the rhythm section and matching the guitarists’ riffs, whilst complimenting the drums as well.
The vocals by Charlie are your standard death metal fare. The majority being low end growls and grunts, with some occasional mid to slightly high screaming, however no high pitched vocals (a la the Black Dahlia Murder ) are featured at all. However I did not expect these so was not disappointed. The album also does not contain any “pig squeals” or “brees” another clear sign that the band wants to distance themselves from being lumped into the deathcore scene. The final track on the album “A Perfect Casket” features some female intro vocals but then reverts to Charlie’s standard style. The lyrics cover subjects such as death, politics and love, nothing incredibly groundbreaking, but good enough to work with the instrumentation. Whilst being a solid and competent performance by the vocalist, the lack in vocal variety keeps the whole album from being fully engaging.
There are also two instrumental interludes on the album: “Hollow” and “Domicile”. Both of these tracks are nothing but atmospheric filler, clearly put in to break up the album and possibly to take up some disc time. These work quite well and give the listener some breathing space between each album third. However, be warned, one instrumental track features some pig squeals, literally. The album's production is pretty much clean and crisp, with all instruments and vocals at the same level (a little less so with the bass) and makes the album easy to listen to. Overall, Trigger The Bloodshed have produced a very promising debut which is miles ahead of any recent UK output, and which will fit in perfectly with US acts such as Suffocation (with whom the band have toured). It also shows that TTB have great potential and if they continue to improve on their next album, and possibly vary their style on a few tracks , it is very possible that they will become a force to reckon within the metal scene, and possibly saviours of UK and worldwide death metal .
[+] Pros:
-Good musicianship
-Effective drumming
-Well constructed tracks
-Interesting solos
-Solid Vocals
[-] Cons:
-Album becomes repetitive towards the end
-Lack of audible bass
-Whilst solid, there is a lack of vocal variation
Recommended Tracks:
-Merciless Ignorance
-Laceration
-Lovers
-A Perfect Casket
