I don’t really like to discuss singles: they don't always fully reveal the author’s idea - that’s historically so. But the first release of a new band always arouses my interest, moreover, regardless of the format. And today I will tell you what interest I had in a project from Tokyo called Blood Prophecy.
My Rating: 74/100 Best song: Get Freedom
Here you can hear patterns characteristic of melodic death metal on a extended-range guitar and bass. After the phrase “Melodic Death Metal”, I'm already triggered. For me, the reference sound is the In Flames band from 1996 to 2002. And those who know already realized that the word “Trigger” I inserted for a reason.
However, I will continue about the guys from Tokyo. The general idea is pretty harsh and sharp, although the songs are nice to listen. However, I like the fact that they did not become just another copy of some famous Scandinavian band - for this they have special respect. These are not my fantasies, such cases really happened, for example, with band Devil Within.
The album structure is as follows. First track is a high-tempo song with three types of blast beat. Second track is a song with alternating tempo and slow solo. And at the end - a song with a groove riff and a brakedown. At first glance, the overall picture looks exactly as it should. But I am haunted by the implementation shades. I get the impression that initially there was one very powerful composition and one that was made for quantity. And the second one came up with a sequel (in the form of the third track) with a groove riff. I can’t say that this is a good idea, although the performance looks interesting.
Vocalist also looks interesting. Lyrics are poorly distinguishable - this does not mean poor pronunciation, it indicates the correct recording of extreme vocals. In general, the vocalist showed himself well - it's very difficult to find fault with something.
Instrumental parts look cool. Instrumental parts structures are not particularly complex (if you don't take into account the fast scales in second track), however, they significantly affect emotions. Guitar riffs are simple - I realized how this is played during the first listening. Lead guitar parts also don't differ in anything supernatural. I will not hide the fact that I was expecting a part in the style of some Alphoenix when I saw a extended-range guitar. However, I can say that the work of the guitarist is interesting. And, as you already noticed, I liked the main riff from the third song more. Now about the rhythm section. It's noticeable that a lot of attention is paid to the rhythm section. Bassist doesn't have very complicated parts, but he looks cool. Drums also look cool. Here the composer really did everything for a change - here you have several types of blast beats and standard heavy metal drumming. Accordingly, the drummer will not make you bored either.
Despite the fact that this is a new project (since 2019, that is, recently), the members noticeable serious abilities. Technically, the album is not very complicated. Also, I don’t really like some of the shades of the general idea - in this regard, I would like something else that would somehow balance the general rigidity. But I can say that this album is nice to listen. There is still a lot of work to do, but overall, the release is good.
