Reviews list for As Blood Runs Black - Instinct (2011)

Similarly to Vildhjarta, As Blood Runs Black has had a long gap between their first and second albums, and a shorter gap before their third one. Well, this band's album gaps aren't as long as Vildhjarta's, but there are still multiple setbacks the band has had in these intervals, and lineup changes are to blame amongst other things. However, when the band gets their lineup right, they get it WAY right. More heaviness awaits in their second album Instinct!

While the band's melodic deathcore sound has picked up where it left off from Allegiance, there's less of their straight-up melodeath side. The two remaining members from the debut, drummer Hector De Santiago and bassist Nick Stewart can adapt to the new lineup's different ideas, allowing their sound to progress further.

"Triumph" opens the album as a brief intro of technical brutality. Then the highlight "Legacy" blasts off in intense fire. They continue to expand their sound in "Resist", which comes with a melodic solo in the sea of heaviness. In "Angel City Gamble", the band is willing to "RISK. IT. ALL!!!!!" to combine melodic death metal with deathcore, and it paid off with a wicked heavy sound that shall never die. Absolutely phenomenal! The riffing melody shines at the start of the last third of the track before a face-punching ending breakdown with a f***ing killer scream of "DO NOT FEAR THE FAILURES!" Another deathcore band that can blend melody and brutality in the riffing like that is All Shall Perish. That band and this one are proof that deathcore can still be metal despite what pure metalheads believe. "WILL YOU PURSUE?!"

"Reborn" combines the melodic-ish death metal of Grave and Hypocrisy with the metalcore of Living Sacrifice. Just like the previous album, this one has a soft instrumental intermission, "Tribulations". I like it better than that other interlude, this one having just atmospheric piano and strings to better suit the haunting landscape before returning to heaviness. "Divided" has some of the heavier aspects of Fear of Domination without any of that band's dance-trance side. "King of Thieves" sounds almost as chaotic as Zao, and the vocals even remind me of that band.

There's more technical drumming in "In Honor", along with a well-achieved aspect of the guitar and bass in perfect synchronization. "Echoes of an Era" is another winning track when it comes to the band's evolution. However, I feel like the guitar riffing could've been stronger, including in the breakdowns. It's still great though. The closing title track perfectly blends brutality and melody, keeping things nice and tight.

After 5 years in the void, As Blood Runs Black come back strong as ever! Instinct shall last long together with Allegiance as melodic deathcore classics. So what the f*** are you waiting for?!?!? Get this album and unleash your metal instinct!

Favorites: "Legacy", "Angel City Gamble", "Reborn", "In Honor", "Instinct"