EP Review: Bloodbather – Silence

There’s no denying that Bloodbather are bringing genuine excitement to metalcore, having been blazing a trail of hype since their 2018 debut EP Pressure announced their arrival in thumping fashion. The Florida-based duo – vocalist/bassist Kyler Millo and guitarist Salem Vex – here return with an EP which delivers on the promise of their earlier work, and finds the pair blending deathcore know-how with elements of hardcore and industrial metal.

Opening this EP is God, a dissonant, hardcore-inspired song that’s downright vicious throughout, something exemplified by the disdain with which the duo shout 'You fucking idiot!' to its subject. Impassioned screams and harrowing growls collide across its two-and-a-half minutes, but it’s underpinned by a real sense of groove that proves Bloodbather’s music is more than just heaviness for the sake of it.

Elsewhere, the industrial metallic hardcore of the title-track works well, as does Erase, with the latter being the strongest of the six tracks that make up Silence, when it comes to the trade-off between the equally desolate vocal and guitar work. Granted, things start to get a little repetitive by the time fourth song Disappear rolls around, but Millo and Vex remain more than skilled with executing this stuff.

Better yet, Silence concludes with a hint that there’s more to come from Bloodbather’s sound moving forwards. Cold, the final song, is a piece of music that, in little over a minute, brings things to a truly atmospheric conclusion, making use of more withheld soundscapes in a manner akin to what UK favourites Loathe do so well. All of this more than proves Bloodbather’s capabilities when it comes to metallic savagery. The real test for this band now is proving that they can be something more.

Verdict: 3/5

For Fans Of: Knocked Loose, Jesus Piece, Loathe

Bloodbather is released on October 9 via Rise Records.

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