5.12.2018

BLOODLINE - Hate Procession

Artist:  Blooodline
Album: Hate Procession
Year:  2009
Genre:  Black Metal

Black metal has innovated, terrified and rebelled for close to three decades.  With all due respect, credit and love to Bathory, Venom, Hellhammer and NME, I’m speaking of the 2nd wave of Norwegian and Swedish bands that, literally, lit the world aflame around 1990.  The sound of those grim, cold, unrelenting pioneers has now been duplicated, emulated and transformed.  As the music spread and gained popularity, which was most likely unintended, bands from all over the globe conjured their version of what could be considered the world’s most extreme, dark and dangerous music.  With that said, black metal became a true example of quantity over quality and has sent listeners down endless rabbit holes searching for bands worthy of their time.  Occasionally a band claws its way to the top of the pile of enemy corpses to bring you something new and unique.  One of these bands is Bloodline and their album is Hate Procession.

Bloodline strays far from the cold, cave-like sound and rabid velocity of the early masters, yet, retains the abhorrent anti-human nature of those bands.  They move at a non-typical, sludgy pace that feels like trying to trudge through a murky swamp while being strangled; you want to move faster, but you cannot, which is the torturous glory of this record.  It’s an uncomfortable listen. Bloodline is smart and keep things simple.  The instrumentation is bulldozing but layered with smatterings of samples and keyboards to avoid a one-dimensional feel.  The vocals sound certifiably insane, are devoid of any positive emotion and are composed with pure conviction.  It has been a long time since I’ve witnessed such a pulverizing and abusive vocal performance that grows stronger as the album plays.  When the album finishes, an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness exists.  Once again, it’s an uncomfortable listen.  I believe that was the overall purpose of this album.  This is life-draining music. 

Listen to "Order Of The Parasite" here.

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