Bleeding Through

Declaration sounds tremendously big. You can probably credit Devin Townsend for some of that, his tsunami-of-sound production style turning bombastic songwriting into a huge, dense recording. But that ambitious songwriting itself is reason enough for the overwhelming tidal wave quality of Bleeding Through’s latest album, and also enough to give Declaration a case of identity crisis, or at the very least, a very mixed lineage. The record’s a 12-song Scandinavia-meets-California symphonic hardcore detonation. Except for the odd interlude — a stripped-down intro, a melodic chorus — speed is the norm, propelling the album onward through orchestral excesses, past momentary breakdowns and through a kaleidoscopic onslaught of black, death and thrash. The sonic indulgence never settles into a stable pattern, so even though Declaration provides an immersive experience, it’s not one that stays with you long after the final notes die out.