Bleeding Through - The Great Fire (2012)^{Release ID: 8776}

Bleeding Through is known as one of the originators of the heavier side of metalcore, and even though their more popular times with about 5 or 6 years before this album, they never seem to creatively decline. But after 7 albums in a career spanning decade and a half, it was their time to split. They would spend 4 years of silence before an epic return. But before then, this album The Great Fire shows more of their O.G. metalcore re-energized from the previous self-titled album.

The album is more furious with merciless power, and Brandan Schieppati’s roars and screams can cause a tall mountain avalanche. With the song lengths much shorter, from one and a half to 4 minutes, average 3 minutes, and more punk-ish guitar work, this album has a greater hardcore pulse than melodeath.

The album starts with the marching opener "The March", a heavy crushing intro with thrash influences and keyboard tones. Then the fire blazes through "Faith in Fire", kicking off the brutal screams. The music becomes fast without any forgiveness, adding more death metal influence to the metalcore hooks. "Goodbye to Death"... Does that mean they're saying goodbye to the death metal influences they had in previous albums? Definitely not, because their next album comeback has those influences returning. It continues the speedy pace, but the guitars and rhythms are a little low beneath the screams. Still there's some subtle melody weaved into the berserk aggression. "Final Hours" is the first song here with clean singing, reminiscent of their earlier times a decade prior. "Starving Vultures" has more of the power the band is hungry for.

"Everything You Love is Gone" is another short merciless attack with powered up roars and screams. "Walking Dead" is the only song in the album that's over 4 minutes long. After an epic piano intro, brutality is unleashed, a flashback to This is Love, This is Murderous. "The Devil and Self Doubt" once again blasts through melody and aggression perfectly, but the rock-ish solo is a little too excessive. "Step Back in Line" is a step back into the line of fire from their previous two albums. "Trail Of Seduction" starts with a cool prog-ish organ intro followed by a classic guitar solo before more screams. The vocal harmonies make a great chorus.

"Deaf Ears" is a ruthless song, charging through with sharp bursting noises of metal that can indeed make you have deaf ears if you're hearing-sensitive. Same with "One by One" a shorter tune that can slay listeners one by one, alongside a gang refrain. "Entrenched" begins with an Alice in Chains-like vocal harmony intro before turning into a bludgeoning standout. "Back to Life" has more keys and melody to drag you in through death metal fury before ending with an uplifting chorus.

Though not reaching the heights and most of their other albums, and including a couple songs that could've been edited out, The Great Fire is still very impressive, and a great end of their first era in the bang. Even though it looked like the end of Bleeding Through when their 4-year split-up started, the band would later come back to life....

Favorites: "Faith in Fire", "Final Hours", "Walking Dead", "Trail of Seduction", "Entrenched", "Back to Life"