Taste of Blood

Imagine if, as opposed to taking the tech metal side of the band to the nth degree with The Silent Circus, Between the Buried and Me had let their death metal influences loose full force for the second full-length — it would more than likely sound somewhat like The Taste of Blood. Predator is an absolutely relentless barrage of breakdowns that range from acceptable to utterly pulverising, countered with a touch of technical Swedish thrash. While a tech metal influence is clear, TTOB seem more interested in sandwiching the listener between seismically tough mosh parts for most of the album, choosing not to waste time or their audience’s patience. The vocals alternate between a passably ear-splitting shriek and a John Gallagher-esque guttural roar — which occasionally brings the group a tad too close to Dying Fetus, particularly in the way the vocalists trade off of each other. The production is extremely powerful, and strikes a good balance between the group’s hardcore and metal influences. The only thing stopping this group’s popularity from skyrocketing is the abundance of death metal/hardcore crossover groups hanging off the Red Chord’s coattails. Let’s hope they get the attention they deserve.