BLOODY SIGN

Unearthed in France by John McEntee (INCANTATION),2004's "Vana Vigala Loits" was one of the first signings of his Ibex Moon label. Said disc gave listeners a glimpse of even better things to come from the trio, the old school and totally organic death metal style just the kind of sound that McEntee seeks out. This year's follow-up, "Explosion of Elements", exemplifies a band that has honed its style even further, the flow of the album and the varied songwriting big pluses for the release.

Production-wise, "Explosion of Elements" is earthy, crunchy, and natural, delivering the same kind of punch that is heard on "Exacerbated Gnostic Manifestation" from label mates THORNAFIRE. In fact, some of the riffing, complete with those airy chords that bands like THE CHASM utilize so expertly, and the rhythm section bear some similarity to THORNAFIRE's latest effort as well. With just a touch of blackness, "Explosion of Elements" succeeds by keeping things moving along at a brisk pace and offering up an array of strong riffs. Bassist Hagend utilizes a vocal style defined by mid to lower range growls and sinister screams, spewing out every lyric as though part of some obscure ritual of the black arts. Moving between fast and straight ahead drumming, mixed with plenty of blast beats, the feel of the album is a muscular one. But it is when BLOODY SIGN really decides to change things up, such as on the thrashy riff and damn near peppy drum beat on the cover of MASSACRA's "Apocalyptic Warriors" and the rock 'n' swing feel to "Uncontrolled (and Free of Will)" that the band really shines. It is that willingness to stay clear of the kind of songwriting that results in boredom that keeps the effort entertaining.

Though the approach taken is not new, there is a palpable energy to the album. An old school feel matched with a dark and dreadful core, yet a style that somehow seems upbeat, make "Explosion of Elements" an album worth finding out about.