Under the sweltering rays of the Arizona sun, the desperate search for a bit of refreshment to ease the relentless heat wave seems to be an ongoing battle. In an answer to this plea, some sons of Tucson who call themselves The Bled have come forward to offer up a melee of unflinching brutal anthems and serious face melting tunage. Their first full length on Rise Records, Heat Fetish, is loud, uninhibited and will surely satisfy your need for melodic mayhem. But are they here to stay, or are we witnessing a musical mirage?

It’s no secret that The Bled have paid some dues and definitely sparked some attention. The band has already seen some success in the hardcore community, so based on that knowledge, I was optimistic going in. I like hearing new bands but sometimes it’s nice to hear from some outfits that have been in the scene for a while and have had time to fine tune their sound.

Like I said before, this record is high energy and more than loud enough to piss of your nosy neighbors. So make sure if you are listening to The Bled you have your stereo cranked, because this album is best enjoyed at high volume. When it comes to hardcore these boys have a very basic method: play it heavy, play it loud, and play it fast. As long as it’s all wrapped up in a nice package it’s not so bad if you ask me. Their sound is callous but complementing, and their ferocity is ever present track by track. The only relief you get from the auditory abuse that’s given by the unwavering guitar work and blasting rhythm section is when Munoz quiets his demons and channels Chino Moreno (Deftones) for the clean vocal fills which are sporadically placed throughout the record.

Jeremy Ray Talley and Robbie Burbidge offer up a bevy of beautifully brutal riffs and breakdowns. Their fills and solo work are solid, and drummer Josh Skibar keeps up well with some great footwork and nasty skin beating. That being said, there are some aspects of this album I could do without. While the music is solid, it still, at times, lacks a certain something. There are some moments where the vocals get very gothic and develop a strong Mushroomhead feel to them which I didn’t like at all. Also the blasting riffs, although fun and well performed, have a tendency to run together. You see this a lot in these genres so I don’t think it takes to much away, but still kind of lessened my experience.

That being said though, all in all Heat Fetish wasn’t a bad album. There were some qualities here that really stood out, got me pumped and ready to brawl. However, there’s also some blemishes that marred a few songs which left me feeling a bit bored and uninvolved. Fortunately, those were few and far between so I wouldn’t say they altered my overall opinion. If you are in the mood for some heavy, well delivered brutal music, I’d say give The Bled’s new album a spin. I don’t think you will be disappointed, because I surely wasn’t.

3.5/5