Reviews list for Bleeding Through - Portrait of the Goddess (2002)

"I think we're a hardcore band and I'll never say we are a metal band, we're all hardcore kids and we came from the hardcore scene. Ours is just a different version of hardcore, we're trying to do something which adds a different variety to the hardcore scene, which has been sounding the same way for so long."

Brandan Schieppati, listen to yourself! Your band, Bleeding Through combines the heavy riffs and vocals of death metal with straight-edge metallic hardcore, adding keyboards similar to some melodeath bands. There's some definite metal right there! If this band was all hardcore and no metal, they wouldn't be in this site or any other metal site. Their amazing metalcore sound would continue their second album and part of the best half of their discography, Portrait of the Goddess.

The first track "Rise" is really short at two minutes long, but it ain't an intro! It starts the head-banging melodeath-influenced metalcore action right away, with John Pettibone of Himsa on guest vocals. "Our Enemies" starts with epic keyboards that remind me of Comatose-era Skillet, before unleashing their death metal influences from Dismember and At the Gates. There's also a bit of Brandan's clean singing in the choruses. He's a good vocalist, NOT the best, but both his harsh and clean tones show that he means what he's singing. "Wake or Orion" displays some of their heavier Cannibal Corpse influences.

"Just Another Pretty Face" is a re-recorded song from their debut Dust to Ashes, having more prominent melodic elements in this album's version. "Savior Saint Salvation" is the 6 and a half minute middle epic. It starts with softly with nice keyboard touches, then the heavy chaos comes back. Brandan really his notes with no strain. M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold (a metalcore band at the time before morphing into a hard rock/metal band my brother likes) does guest clean singing in the slower epic sections. That was a great song, best in this album! "Turns Cold to the Touch" was also re-recorded from Dust to Ashes with their death metal elements more prominent. The soft clean bridge also has a nice colder touch. The slower heavy part after the first verse of the title track reminds me of Nile, but more in the keyboards than the guitars.

Shouldn't the re-recording of "Ill, Pt.2" be named "Ill, Pt.3"? Either way, the keyboards have nicer notability in their original version in Dust to Ashes. Same thing with the newer version of "I Dream of July". However, the issue with the harmonic guitar intro, hardcore/death metal riffs, and ending breakdown hasn't been entirely fixed. "Insomniac" is a killer melodeath-influenced metalcore ending track, though the final fade-out wasn't really necessary.

Overall, this is awesome, though not their best album. With crushing guitars, melodic keyboards, hardcore vocals, and decent drums, Portrait of the Goddess is a powerful serving of extreme-influenced metalcore. This is an excellent album whether you're into metalcore or new to metalcore. They've painted their portrait well!

Favorites: "Rise", "Our Enemies", "Savior, Saint, Salvation", "Turns Cold to the Touch", "Insomniac"