Soul Embraced

Item: This Is My Blood
Author: D_Lister

This Is My Blood

(2001)

Reviewed by D_Lister

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Label Solid State RecordsDead Zine2001

death metal melodic death metal metalcore thrash metal

Maybe 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 bad thing but there are elements here I would have rather seen them leave behind instead of embracing.

There is no doubt that they are trying to merge the fans of the underground death scene with the legions of Living Sacrifice fans. It is a very melodic album for death metal and I feel it needs to remain classified as death metal and not be lumped into the ever expanding pile of metalcore albums. However there are points in songs where the band builds momentum for a period of time and just about when you expect them to rip your freaking head off with a brutal riff they slow down for the chorus. Keep in mind there is no BAD music here but I think a little more effort could have been put into the formation of the songs and certainly more aggression could have been added.

I find that when I put this CD in, if I'm looking for the really angry material I just skip to track 10 and listen to the last 4 songs. Those songs rule and make the album almost worth it by themselves. I especially love the acoustic guitar work done on 'Scars Remain' and don't go thinking it's some wussy watered down acoustic guitar. I'll have none of that here. Rather they play the acoustic right along side the distorted guitars from the opening riff through the rhythms and you really have to listen to hear it. The last two songs are what I was hoping the entire album would be, a brutal onslaught of speed and precision. Fine, fine songs indeed, but as I mentioned above none are bad.

Lyrically they also tend to continue where For the Incomplete was going in their style of short lyrics that make an interesting point. They never hide their beliefs and overall God is mentioned throughout the songs.

All in all not quite what I expected but still a good CD. I think I'll find myself revisiting their first album more often personally, but if you have not heard these guys this album is going to rock your socks off. Just try not to do too much hardcore dancing to this music, this is pit music.

7/10