Bloodsimple
Red Harvest

Reprise Records

track listing:

Recommended tracks: 

The opening track “Ride With Me” is about as powerful as it gets. You will no shit be singing along on your very first listen. It’s that good. For my money I also like “Whiskey Bent and Hellbound” and the title track “Red Harvest.” But honestly, there’s no filler. This is all good shit.

Level of Consciousness

9 out of 10... A goddamn high mark, but Bloodsimple has earned it. They are one of the few American bands that can make a Scandinavian metal fan like me have faith in the homegrown shit. Moody and diverse. It slows down when it needs to and punches you in the gut just when you stop paying attention. Bring on album number 3.

For more information on Bloodsimple:
Official website
Myspace

Review by Andy Valentine

There’s no need for an in-depth history lesson here. Bloodsimple is two fifths Vision of Disorder. VOD kicked fucking ass and made one of the pinnacle metal albums of the 90’s (Imprint, 1998). After VOD dissolved, Tim and Mark resurfaced in 2005 with Bloodsimple’s first record, A Cruel World. That album reached, nay, surpassed VOD quality. That’s all you need to know.

Now Bloodsimple is back with their sophomore release – and it fucking kills. Coming out at the tail end of 2007, I strongly feel this is a contender for album of the year. No shit. It’s that good. Not a single track is wasted. Not a single moment is dull.

The album starts with the building crescendo of vocalist Tim Williams paying homage to The Doors’ track “The End” leading to the most notable moment of the album. The fist raised, heart stomping, blood curdling screaming proclamation “I WANNA FUCK YOOOOU!”

According to iTunes I’ve listened to the track 36 times now. And it still gives me shivers, every time I hear it. That doesn’t even count the 50 or so times I’ve listened to the track in the car. A couple weeks back, I had the honor of seeing Bloodsimple open for Hellyeah, and goddamn, when the “I wanna fuck you” moment arrived, a true glimpse of metal beauty aligned when five hundred insane fans screamed in unison.

Tracks like “Ride With Me” are why metal was invented in the first place.

And from there, the album doesn’t let up for a minute. Every song offers pure energy, scream along passages, and headbang inducing rhythms. My voice is hoarse from singing along with this disc. Again, it’s that fucking good.

I argue that right now American metal trails far behind the pioneering shit going on in Europe and Scandinavia. The majority of interesting, creative, and envelope pushing metal bands today come from the old world. With “Red Harvest,” Bloodsimple is effectively telling the world that Americans can still produce strong respectable American metal.

Hell, even Machine Head’s The Blackening, arguably one of the other best records of 2007 is so tainted with Scandinavian influence, you might be able to convince someone who didn’t know better that it was from Sweden or Denmark.

Bloodsimple have put themselves at the level of a Lamb of God or hell, even a (bow down) Pantera.

It’s that fucking good.

Honestly, there isn’t a goddamn negative thing I can say about this record. Kudos.