BLOODHUNTER
Sons Of The Abandoned
ROAR (Rock Of Angels Records)
by: Paul Hutchings
In the world of aggressive melodic death metal, Diva Satanica is perhaps one of the more recognised names, alongside the likes of Angela Gossow, Alissa White-Gluz, Tatiana Shmayluk, Brittney Slayes and Marion Bascoul. Her tenure with BLOODHUNTER is now well into its second decade. The band itself has been in existence since 2008, with Satanica taking lead vocals for the past 13 years. “Sons Of The Abandoned” is the band’s fourth album and follows 2022’s “Knowledge Was The Price”. Not having heard any of the previous output, this was a voyage into the unknown.
First impressions are decent. Fast, aggressive drumming, slicingly sharp guitar work and Satanica’s trademark roaring vocals all hit hard and fast. It’s a little predictable, carrying the same blueprint that so many bands of the genre follow. The inclusion of Moonspell’s Fernando Ribeiro on “The Threshold Of Hell” brings a different vibe to the record, his haunting, gothic delivery providing the perfect foil to Satanica’s more urgent style.
Elsewhere, the music is razor sharp, but there’s little of excitement in the main – just a repeated riff, battering drums, and a sound that has been done to death. And it’s not a struggle to listen to it, but the repetition makes it less interesting, despite the music being excellently performed. Songs like “Code Aeternam”, “The Outspoken” and “Masters Of Deceive” all sit in the solid category, but don’t really get out of second gear.
The challenge in this release is to listen to the band’s impressive cover of Annihilator’s “Human Insecticide” which closes the album and then compare it with their own material. It’s a tough, saturated genre which is why bands like Dark Tranquility, Amorphis and the like have made their way to the upper levels. They bring something a little different.
It’s not awful by any means. “No One Beats Death” has a chugging riff that sets the song more in Lamb Of God territory, although it’s a bit more clunky than the Richmond legends. The appearance of Laura Guldemond from Burning Witches on “The Path That Never Ends” sees the introduction of some cleans on the chorus, although the song plods along without really igniting anything of real note until it segues into “The Night Is Darker Before Dawn” which changes tempo with some delicious acoustic guitar work from Guillermo Starless and Dani Arcos. Maybe it is the absence of vocals after the relenting salvos that makes it stand out.
Overall, this album is solid yet unexciting. I had no qualms in playing it several times, but at no point did I look up from what I was doing to check what I was listening to. And for that I am sorry. For most bands would rather a review that sits them at either side of the average. And BLOODHUNTER for me, sit firmly in the middle.