All you really need to know about Blood Label to figure out how they sound are three things ; They are from Denmark, Existence Expires was recorded at Tue Madsen’s Antfarm Studio (Hatesphere, Illdisposed, The Haunted, etc) and the vocals were recorded at the studio of former Hateshphere/Allhelluya and current The Kandidate front-man Jacob Bredahl.
See? In your mind’s ear, you already what what Blood Label sound like don’t you?
Chunky, tight thrash inspired metalcore-ish metal, right? And you’d be absolutely correct.
This is one of those hard reviews to write because superficially Blood Label do everything right; obviously the production is perfect with very crunchy, beefy guitars and a pounding typically Danish rhythm section. The songs are a nice mix of volatile thrash on steroids and more controlled chugging heft and the vocals are your standard hardcore -ish shout and a few death metal growls. It all comes together to be something I don’t mind and when I’m listening to it, I’m entertained and more often than not, I’m banging my head. However, I can’t help feel that the band and album is just a predictable, typically Danish affair, and they suffer from what I call ‘Carnal Forge syndrome’- great energy, intensity and effort, but a lack of sustainability. I can’t say I sit around saying “Man, I really need to hear that Blood Label CD, right NOW”.
Still, those that do really enjoy the likes of Hatesphere and Carnal Forge, Existence Expires should be right up your alley. It’s mostly rife with energetic moments of modernized thrash with some snarling up tempo moments like “Mutiny”, “Into Perpetual Fire” and “This is Not a Piece Offering”. There’s also plenty of more restrained, chunky moment that are borderline metalcore (single/video “Traitors Beware”, “The Deprivation of the Human Race”, “Evil Incarnate”), though the band does thankfully avoid clean vocals or ballads or any sort and things are all rendered with a pretty good sneer throughout, and the production certainly has some presence.
Blood Label certainly stand toe to toe with some of their country and genre mates, but also suffer from sounding too much like them. But on the whole a decent release from a competent group of guys that seem to be comfortable in their chosen sound. Good for them.
