Who says you can’t teach an old genre new tricks? Modern metal act Bleed from Within have returned for their latest full-length record with Fracture and it takes some old elements of metalcore and gives them a fresh twist. But pigeon-holing it in one subgenre takes away from the spectacle of it, and Fracture stands as a rock-solid piece of music.
Combining grooves, playful musicianship and melodies, and some impressively well-done breakdowns, there’s a lot to enjoy on Fracture. “The End of All We Know” opens things up with some immediacy in its stomping hooks and grooves (with just a pinch of Gojira in their rhythm) and efficiently switch over into some clean vocals without going into saccharine territory. Follow-up “Pathfinder” has the album’s most massive breakdown – an elephant stomper that just rumbles of heaviness, boosted by an effective build-up and catchy grooves within. “Fall Away” has some modern melodic vibes to it, and driving rhythms, while nuancing in some slight metalcore touches in a beneficial way. The title track sits on the more melodic side of things, with one of the bigger choruses on the album, but it’s quite pleasantly restrained instead of going big and over-the-top, and it benefits greatly from this. To wrap up the lesson in diversity, closing track “A Depth That No One Dares” uses some playful bass work and more proggy riffing to show off some floaty atmosphere and ends things on a very positive note.
Fracture flexes plenty of heaviness throughout its runtime, but the way that melodies and groovy moments are interwoven make it a much stronger album. They take some relics of metalcore past and convert things into a more modern affair – making for an album that feels ripe with energy and able to hit melodies without going too melodramatic. A winner if you enjoy this style.