Bloodsimple, Red Harvest

Nothing short of “amazing” should be used to sum up the newest addition to the Bloodsimple world. With it being over two years since their first debut album, A Cruel World, the now-four-member crew has proven their place in the metal scene with the follow-up album Red Harvest. This new collection definitely shows how much they’ve grown, from a semi-small NY group into the big hit they are today, with tracks like “Whiskey Bent And Hellbound (HELLMYR),” “Dead Man Walking,” and “Out To Get You.”

Bloodsimple has fine-tuned their sound and made it their own. Unlike most new music coming out, Bloodsimple has reintroduced solos back into the lost relic that we call metal. With help from record producer Machine (Lamb Of God/White Zombie), the quartet flew through the recording of this album in just two short months. Despite losing drummer Chris Hamilton, the band soldiered on, with Mike Froedge filling in for them in the studio.

The concept for Red Harvest was based on a 1929 detective novel, also conveniently titled Red Harvest. The lyrics were constructed based on characters like those mentioned in the novel. For example, in “Dead Man Walking”: “Look at me I’m a dead man walking / Put another nail in my coffin / On the hill I see the bodies burning / Burn, Burn, Burn it down.” Sounds like their recent touring buddy Chad Gray (Hellyeah/Mudvayne) must have rubbed off some of the same vocal styling to front man Tim Williams, as seen on such tracks as “Whiskey Bent And Hellbound (HELLMYR).” Track two, “Red Harvest,” sounds similar to Killswitch Engage and displays a perfect blend of deep, crunchy chops, mixed with high-end harmonic overtones.

All in all, from the bluesy spoken-word intro to the speedy, machine-gun-style riff ending, you’ll never tire of this album; it’s one to definitely add to your collection.