With the persistence and ferocity of a cage full of aggravated badgers, Seattle's The Blood Brothers are back with another whirlwind of screeching, biting madness. Their new album and fifth full-length, Young Machetes, offers another serving of their spastic scream-fest style.
Since their formation in 1997, The Blood Brothers have evolved into one of the most interesting hardcore acts out there. The shifts between their earlier works like This Adultery Is Ripe and the more recent Crimes have made them somewhat hard to place on the musical map, which gives them all the more intrigue. Crimes found the band pushing their music into post-hardcore and experimental grounds, taking the opportunity to incorporate pianos, synthesizers, post-production magic and extreme tempo shifts. Following more decisively in this direction, vocalist Johnny Whitney and drummer Mark Gajadhar formed a side project, Neon Blonde, to explore their experimental and electronic alter-egos more intimately. Neon Blonde's 2005 debut, Chandeliers in the Savannah, was met with much critical acclaim.
So are the maniacs behind The Blood Brothers softening up? As if to abolish this expectation, a screaming announcement of "Fire! Fire! Fire!" opens Young Machetes' first track, "Set Fire to the Face on Fire." Enter chugging bass and guitar -- vocalist duo Jordan Blilie and Whitney continue in blood-curdling unison -- ensuring that the band hasn't lost its bite in the least. The shifting guitar riffs and call-and-response vocals of the second track, "We Ride Skeletal Lightning," is one of the catchiest and hardest-hitting moments of the band's discography.
Then the Brothers make a complete change in direction with the funky synthesizer riff that introduces track three, "Laser Life." These three openers are placed perfectly to sum up the sound of the band -- but The Blood Brothers have plenty more to offer on the album.
Things slow down a bit on "Spit Shine Your Black Clouds," which includes a piano and vocal breakdown where Whitney croons, "Oh, your mother slit her throat / after your father's heart attack." It's a sweeping tune that can only be described as ... beautiful?! Another highlight is "Lift the Veil, Kiss the Tank," which builds to a pounding climax where the singers declare, "Dress my corpse up in a low-cut dress ... / But death's just death no matter how you dress it up."
The great thing about Young Machetes lies in its awareness of the band's entire history. Though the Brothers continue to push their sound forward, they also take the opportunity to throw in songs like "You're the Dream Unicorn!" that recall a more "classic" Blood Brother's sound. This makes the album a time-traveling rollercoaster ride, like a greatest hits collection made entirely of new songs. Highly recommended for old and new fans alike.
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