"Radio-friendly death metal"? This may be the perfect album for Solid State to put out if they're looking to get the new generation of metalheads to take the next step. Put a sticker on it that says it's got LS members playing on it and they'll be dying for a listen to maybe the most accessible death metal album I've heard. This has just enough LS similarity to draw people in, but even more to separate it as its own entity. For real, when Rocky's writing SE rhythms he uses ALL SIX of those strings! Revolutionary, huh? The inevitable result is interesting songs that go places, backed by lots of Lance's double bass and Chad Moore's "somewhere between standard death growl and Zao shriek" vocals. Pretty much similar to their last album, if you heard that. In fact maybe my only real complaint is that a few songs almost seem TOO similar, but that just may be the price to pay for recognizable songs, and there are 13 of 'em on here (although only 1 hits 4 mins). My favorites would probably be "The Cold Stars of Dead Eyes", which offsets Kekal-like flatpicking/blast beats with a sludge-groove metalcore riff (don't misunderstand, though, this is NOT a "core" band in any sense) and melds them together with some great melodic stuff, as well as the last track "Leech" which sends the album out with a big, fast bang.
Lyrically they never quite say "Jesus" or whatever, but it's obvious that they're talking about our Lord. From "The Scorn of Death's Kiss" "My soul longs to be with thee/to dwell forever with the father/I've longed for this day/welcomed with open arms/to meet my God", or from "Buried In" "I seek the light through the night/you were within when I went away/who I was is gone/eclipse the sin I'm buried in". If anyone takes the time to look the messages are pretty self-evident.
So there you go. It's a long way from Crimson Thorn or Feast Eternal brutality levels, but call it a "kinder, softer" brand of death metal. And I say it's pretty cool.
8.5/10
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis March 2002Reviewed by Nate BaileySoul Embraced sports members of Living Sacrifice. They have previously released a full length entitled, "For the Incomplete." This current release is with Solid State. This is a great album! From stem to stern, this is quality work. The music is metal all the way, but not the boring tedious, repetitious stuff you may be thinking. There are hooks and melodies galore. Very catchy stuff! Each song…Art for the Ears 2002Reviewed by Marco PovervestThe follow up to the album Soul Embraced released through Clenched Fist Records (For The Incomplete) contains thirteen death metal tunes. Soul Embraced is the band with two Living Sacrifice members (Lance Garvin & Rocky Gray) and singer Chad Moore. While Living Sacrifice meshes hardcore with metal, Soul Embraced will please the metal fans with intense death metal. While the record isn't as…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Duncann TrippFor all you Living Sacrifice fans out there, looking for something to tide you over until they release a follow up to The Hammering Process, don't look to Soul Embraced for that replacement. Yeah, sure, Rocky and Lance make up 2/3 of this outfit, but they aren't repeating their work with Bruce and Company. This Is My Blood is much closer to a straight death metal feel. All the necessary elements…Dead Zine 2001Reviewed by the ProjectSoul Embraced hits the Solid State recording studio to return with their Sophomore effort This Is My Blood. WOW! This is amazing. A little weaker than the first disk but much more radio friendly and with all the hype will probably sell quite a few records. I gave the first album a 10 and I really loved this one better so you know this is good. The vocals were total growling insanity along with…Dead Zine 2001Reviewed by D_ListerMaybe I had just set my expectations a little too high for this band. After hearing and loving their first album For the Incomplete I had really expected Soul Embraced to take that next step up in intensity level and increase the aggression they had laid the foundation for. This Is My Blood does not do that, but rather delivers 13 tracks of pretty much For the Incomplete material. That's not a…Similar sounding releases
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