With a mix of death metal, hardcore, melody and harmony, Bleeding Through has crafted something uniquely its own. “For a few seconds, this place was Armageddon. And there was a firefight!” From the opening riffs of “Love Lost in a Hail of Gunfire,” the first track off Bleeding Through’s latest offering “This is Love, This is Murderous,” the band pummels the listener with blazing guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, hard-hitting bass work and seething, anger-infused vocals. And this track (with an opening clip from the movie “The Boondock Saints”), is how Bleeding Through chooses to unleash its intricate, electronically-fused metal and hardcore styling to the masses… Since its inception, the band has pulled itself out of the hardcore underground to solidify a name for itself, earning a mass of fans along the way including the metal-band Lamb of God and Davey Havok, lead singer for AFI. Fronted by former Throwdown and Eighteen Visions guitarist Brandan Schieppati, Bleeding Through have crafted a multi-layer cornucopia of sounds: traded riffing of guitarists Scott Danough and Brian Leppke, the brutal trade-offs between bassist Ryan Wombacher and drummer Derek Youngsma and subtle atmospheric keyboarding from Marta. Each of the tracks off the band’s latest offering have a underlying sense of urgency and immediacy to them, with an interesting sense of old- and new-school metal meshing together. Going back to the opening track of “This is Love…,” “Love Lost” explodes with a “pop, pop, pop” drum attack courtesy of Youngsma, before Danough and Leppke tear through their opening riffs, Marta adding effects in the background while Youngsma goes wild behind his set. Schieppati piles on his hardcore-style vocals over verse after verse before the song breaks down with a more mid-tempo speed and strong double-bass work. By the time the second bridge comes along, the lead vocals screaming “I want to see your face. Show me your true face!” are downright chilling. Then everything takes a 180 and Schieppati starts singing “And my heart belongs to you, so save me” with classic-style guitar riffing in the background. This is definitely the band’s best and most striking song to date. Another strong track on “This is Love…” is “On Wings of Lead,” which sounds oddly reminiscent of In Flames. “On Wings” feels like a perfect metal track: solid riffs, really tight bass and drum back-and-forths and vocals that are turgid with anger, yet not too abrasive. The subtle keyboards add just the right texture to the song’s undercurrent of melancholy. The disc’s title-track is a perfect example of the depth apparent in Bleeding Through’s music. Opening with abusive riffing, the music steadily builds up speed through its steam-roller-like force, eventually flourishing into a full metal juggernaut with massive guitar parts and superb double-bass drumming. But just below the surface there’s a sense of melody, personified by the barely-there keyboards. Schieppati’s vocals hold the entire piece together as he growls, screams and sings over the orchestration. The effect of Marta’s keyboards are more noticeable in songs like “City of the Condemned” (with a keyboard opening and bridge) and “Mutilation” (with more prominent keyboards throughout the track). The only song that really seems out of place on “This is Love…” is the minute-and-a-half heavy-hitting “Sweet Vampirous.” Being so short, the song really doesn’t have any chance to evolve and, in turn, seems underdeveloped and repetitive. “This is Love, This is Murderous” is a great addition to any hardcore or metal fan’s collection. There are slight problems overall with the release, but it’s a strong outing nonetheless. “I’ll fight you with every ounce of strength I have left. I’ll seal it with a bullet and a kiss. So look at your horror.” From “Love Lost in a Hail of Gunfire.”

"For a few seconds, this place was Armageddon. There was a firefight!" It is this quote from the bad-ass film The Boondock Saints that begins the latest album from Bleeding Through. Any band that uses a sound clip from an ultra violent movie such as that one, has to automatically be violent themselves. That is probably the best word to describe this band, and this record in particular. It's not just hardcore with metal influences, this album is metal to the core. This stuff is so brutal it'll leave you wanting to kill your mom's new kitten. The lyrics are probably the most brutal part of this record. I counted that 4 out of the 12 songs start off with some derivative of the word "fuck" in the first line. They're angry enough to make you want to break up with your girlfriend. Even though it's a strictly metal album, this record has an extremely expansive sound. It's filled with intense breakdowns and technical guitar solos, all of which sound really well produced. Everything from the vocals, to guitar, to the drums sound very, very clean. Once again, Bleeding Through has made a solid record that surely won't disappoint any metal fans out there.

The Swedish melodic death metal sound has been creeping into the hardcore scene for a while now. For bands that have no original ideas, it serves as an easy way to write music, but for those who know how to utilize the melody and speed and integrate it into hardcore it really can work. Along with Unearth, Bleeding Through is one of the few bands that combines the two genres and makes it really work. The melodic riffing combined with vicious breakdowns and harsh screaming makes for a very memorable listen. I think one of the main reasons the Swedish influence works is because they make it their own sound. When you hear the riffs it doesn't automatically make you reference bands you've heard in the past. You don't automatically hear an At the Gates or In Flames influence. They take the sound and make it their own. I would almost say that they sound like a combination of The Haunted, and Eighteen Visions at times, but that would be selling them short. It would be tough to call what they are doing stylistically original, but how the different genres come together is somewhat original. It truly does sound like Bleeding Through, and not just another faceless metalcore band. I also think that the band stands out from the pack with their visual approach. Even if I hadn't of known what the band had to offer musically I probably would have picked this up just because of the album cover and layout. In a time when it's easy just to put a skull and make your label unreadable, it's nice to see a band putting some effort into a layout and approaching it from a more visual point of view. It's also very unique to see a heavy band mainly use white for a layout. Lyrically this album is pretty vicious. I don't think I've read the word fuck in a hardcore album this many times before. The vicious lyrics are matched by an equally vicious vocal approach. The main screaming voice the singer uses actually reminds me quite a bit of Phil Anselmo. Granted, it's a lot heavier, but for some reason I can't get that comparison out of my head. The vocal approach is actually quite varied as well. There are some clean vocals to go along with the screams, which are quite varied themselves. It's not a constant scream from start to finish, he uses a range of different sounds. Some people might write this band off as just another Swedish influenced metalcore band, but there is so much more to this. It's well written, well played, and generally leaves every other band playing this style in the dust.

"Nothing was supposed to hurt like this/Missing you was only one more kiss." These are the opening lines of one of the most intense and emotional songs in the world. And it's featured on Bleeding Through's far from sophomore jinx 'This Is Love, This Is Murderous'. When Brendan Schieppati left 18 Visons, he joined a list that's as big as those who've slept with Madonna. What Brandon left for was Bleeding Through where he converts from guitar to lead screamer. Bleeding Through can be described as black metal meets hardcore, and even though this album was released in late 2003, I highly recommend it as something that should be blasting through your speakers for all or most of 2004. Even though some of the riffs have been stolen from Opeth's tab book, it's energetic, brutal, punishing and emotional without being "emo." I haven't been so impressed with an album in such a long time.

America is becoming the place to look for technical thrash, crisp grooves, and hardcore work ethic- from lamb of God to Unearth and All That Remains and Bleeding Through, we cold be witnessing a rebirth and regeneration of thrash which hasn't been experienced since 1988. This Is Love, This Is Murderous is Bleeding Through's 3rd release and best to date. Portrait of a Goddess and Dust to Ashes hinted at the intensity to come and this time Bleeding Through delivers. I'm not a big fan of bands like Darkest Hour and Shadows Fall, they are simply trying to mimic Swedish bands like At The Gates. Bleeding Through and Unearth are bands, which take familiar influences from various places and make them into their own sound. Vocalist Brandon Schieppati ( ex- Throwdown, ex- 18 Visons guitarist) sings his way with vocals more in line with hardcore but with a vicious edge. The music is busy but there are enough sharp concise riffs and headbanging moments to keep you into it. The presence of keyboards is almost peculiar as they are nearly omnipresent yet always in the background accentuating the melody. It's nearly impossible to point out highlights, as this is a solid album from start to finish. Occasionally Brandon will alter his vocal approach, which helps break things up a little. The artwork is visually stunning and original. Don Clark, who has done work for Poison The Well, Open Hand, and Zao, deserves special mention. A top notch, exciting release from a rapidly rising talent.

Time was, you could pretty much judge an underground metal act by its cover, whether it was shag cuts and cult-band jerseys, or corpse paint and bullet belts. Nowadays, it's not so easy: At a glance, Orange County, California based sextet Bleeding Through looks as though it shares a stylist with MTV darlings like AFI, Good Charlotte and Evanescence. But the band's short-cropped black hair, lip piercings and mascara certainly don't foreshadow the blunt impact and confident polystylistic thrash of This Is Love, This Is Murderous. Rather than simply packing extra muscle on punk's wiry frame, Bleeding Through actually builds its music on a heavy-metal foundation. Scott Danough and Brian Leppke discreetly tuck old-school guitar-hero gestures behind the band's blustering choruses, while bassist Ryan Wombacher and drummer Derek Youngsma navigate hairpin turns with the same fuel-injected precision as their neothrash kin in Lamb of God. Molly Street's keyboards alternately add Nordic gloom and Swedish sheen to the mix. In place of the pimply mythologies and giddy Guignol favored by most extreme-metal acts, vocalist Brandan Schiepatti deals in blood-spattered personal-revenge scenarios, The O.C. gone Tarantino, perhaps. Screamo fans likely will have no trouble relating when Schiepatti hoarsely calls out betrayers soon to be violently dispatched. It remains to be seen, however, whether a metal audience weaned on invoking preternatural demons will find the same heady thrill in exorcising those of a personal variety.

If there's a band right now that deserves the buzz they are Getting, Orange County's Bleeding Through is that band. Think Swedish death metal mixed with metalcore, kind of like Swedish metal pioneers At The Gates meshed with brutal heavies Hatebreed. On This Is Love, This Is Murderous, Bleeding Through Showcases a knack for assembling intriguingly heavy numbers With atmosphere and melody. Lead screamer Brandon offers up some nice vocal patterns' kind of nice change of pace for a genre that's followed a "norm" for quite a few years when it comes to vocals. The band has been touring non-stop this year, and it looks like the buzz Won't be dying down any time soon.

Damn. You almost can't ruin anything for me when you start a cd with such a great intro... Boondock Saints is one of the best action movies I know and the intro perfectly fits the groundbreaking overwhelming riffs Bleeding Through start this record with. OK, I agree, this is far from original but it's a damn while ago I heard such a hard and fat production. Extremely heavy moshparts, easy harmonic keyboard tunes and metallic riffs, combined with some decent heavy vocals create this monster called Bleeding Through. I could try to write a super detailed review about this monster-release but these small amounts of words say all that has to be said. Artwork is also superb. Just get this baby if you're into hard, slaughtering, no-compromising, devastating tunes...

VICIOUS METALCORE: "For a few seconds, this place was Armageddon... there was a firefight!" So says the sample from the movie Boondock Saints that starts the new album by Bleeding Through, which is followed immediately by a blistering riff that sets the pace for the rest of the album. The basic elements of Bleeding Through are still here, the frenetic drumming, the guitars rumbling and shrieking underneath the growled vocalwork, but this is a streamlined, sleeker Bleeding Through, thanks to production by Ulrich Wild. The music has a certain pressure to it, like there's so much sound that it can't all fit through the speakers. The band has never sounded tighter, especially the drumming. And while no less assaulting, this time around they've learned that backing off a little every now and again gives the ferocity even more impact. Metalcore is a genre that, by its nature, has a limited creative space to move in, but Bleeding Through maintains the intensity and urgency that made us take notice of the style in the first place. This is Love, This is Murderous is just accessible enough to be listenable, but punishing enough to appeal to even the listeners of the heaviest of the heavy.

For a metal band, these guys are kind of gothed out. Is this a new thing that I'm not hip on? I'm not hip on a lot of stuff, so maybe it's possible I totally blew it and I missed the Orgy-meets-Throwdown train. Anyway, these five guys and one lady from lovely California combine dashes of black metal with enough breakdowns to fall nicely into the nebulous world of metalcore. Fronted by ex-Throwdown, ex- Eighteen Visions showpiece Brandan Schieppati (he is the one with many tattoos and sexy arms), Bleeding Through combine some of the drumming found in a few of those Swedish acts with names I can't pronounce with breakdowns that made Throwdown the legends that they are. Schiepatti does a good job of never letting the vocals become a repetative scream or tiresome squelch. Instead, there's enough variation here to make you feel like you haven't wasted your time, which is always a nice feeling when you get a CD from a genre swamped with the mundane. Even if the artwork inside is a little too pointed, that chick alone is worth the price of admission. Good God!

Okay let me admit this to you first: I am a newcomer to metalcore. This is one of the best metalcore bands i have ever heard or seen live. I knew I would like this album from the introduction of the first song...they use a sound clip from The Boondock Saints (one of my favorite movies.) This album is filled with total fucking chaos, bone crunching guitar riffs, fast paced drumming, psycho screams of hatred, and soul calming keyboards. Yes, that's right, keyboards in a metalcore band. An awesome work of art from a straight edge band from Orange County.

Bleeding Through "This is Love, This is Murderous" Put this one on and take cover. All I can say is, holy shit, this is a vicious slab of unrelenting metalcore. I couldn't think of a better name for this band because the music, lyrics, and cover art are drenched in blood, something akin to savage musical mutilation. Metalcore is too restrictive of a term. While the term is adequate as a generic description, the sextet does an impeccable job of combining the aggression of hardcore with metallic arrangements that are interesting, razor sharp, and utterly devastating, all wrapped up in a delivery that is tight as hell. This is more metal than anything else. Brandon's tough guy vocals bring to mind the coarse style of someone like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's Howard Jones, amplified with bloodlust and unmitigated violence. Marta provides keyboards/electronics, but not in an overwhelming sense; the use of keys is spare, providing just a hint of atmosphere that never gets in the way of the knife throwing guitar work. There are even bits of Swedish melodic death metal in some of the six-string harmony parts. During the few songs where clean, almost emo, vocals are used. Sporting titles like "Love lost in a Hail of Gunfire" and "Mutilation," don't expect to find peace, love, or understanding on "This is Love, This is Murderous." There is no safe haven, only the screams of a listener held captive and tortured without remorse.

The sticker on the front of this album by underground heroes Bleeding Through claims that the band is "the most talked about American metal band of the new millennium." The question is, what are they saying? The hardcore influence is actually stronger than you'd think, especially in the vocal department. The influences lie with Cradle of Filth, The Crown and a variety of Scandinavian melodic death metal outfits, but the break downs are still there, interspersed between the misplaced keyboard effects and guitar wanking. If this review sounds overly critical, it's just that with such nice bloody packaging and with such big claims, you'd be expecting something much more. But no need to fret, This is Love This is Murderous is expertly produced, pissed off sounding, and devastatingly heavy. A superb metalcore band, even if their influences are overtly obvious.

I have no idea how to classify music anymore. To be honest, using terms like "metalcore","hardcore" and "indie" is pure journalistic laziness. I know it, but I do it because it gives people a useful jumping off point. It's difficult to start with the bare bones of music and try to explain what it sounds like to someone who has never heard it, so I use the crutch, and I am unapologetic. In this case, This is Love, This is Murderous definitely could be broken up into some sort of hybrid of those genre terms. I could definitely allude to it's metal leanings, and it's hardcore centre, and I suppose I just did. It might be useful to also mention some similar or influential artists. The most obvious of which are label mates' Eighteen Visions, who perfected, in my mind, the "hardcore kids playing metal" sound on The Best Of. And, of course, the vocal styling of Brandan Schieppati definitely bring to mind a the stylistic leanings of James Hart (Eighteen Visions) with his multi-faceted shriek, growl and singing which are employed in unequal measure throughout the twelve songs that make up This Is Love.... It's not entirely surprising that there is such a prevalent Eighteen Visions influence, what with their lineage tracing back to the aforementioned band as well as straight-edge stalwarts Throwdown. Of course, since I don't want to spend this review juxtaposing the band against their peers, I'll try and explain what stands out from the rest of the increasingly crowded heavy music space. The most striking and differentiating being the spooky keyboards which provide atmospherics for each of the tracks. I know "spooky" sounds like a goofy word in this context, but frankly, that is precisely what the keys add to the material. They rarely carry the melody or the rhythm of the song but nicely flush out the big, thick sound of the band. Even though the band clearly comes from a background in the hardcore scene, and other than the vocals and lyrics, this is pretty straight-forward metal fare. The strong European influence, complete with dueling, shredding guitars borrowed gently from At The Gates/In Flames playbook, and a strong emphasis on guttural, death-metal style growls. In many ways, the artwork sums up the band very appropriately; the image of a large knife stuck through a heart is romantically violent, dark and just a little cartoonish and so is Bleeding Through. This record will probably not revolutionize heavy music, nor will it gently introduce metalcore to the nay sayers, but it is an enjoyable, cathartic release.

Six months ago, I had no idea what this band sounded like. That's not to say I wasn't interested, because coming from an always-on label like Indecision Records, they would never sign a band that I would not be interested in, but it was not until recently that I was discovered the band's debut LP "Portrait of the Goddess". Needless to say, I was shocked. Bleeding Through really transcends their ridiculous image and have some of the best metal chops of anyone I've heard in sometime, certainly from the states. This Is Love, This Is Murderous, with a production hand lent by Ulrich Wild (Pantera, Deftones), not only is one of the best records I have heard in 2003, but firmly plants Bleeding Through near the top of my favorites list. Opening with a tense sound clip from the scene hit "The Boondock Saints," Bleeding Through picks up exactly where Portrait of the Goddess left off. What impresses me most about Bleeding Through is they manage to embrace all the elements of death metal that I love, and leave out all the ones I don't. There's a very defined Swedish black-metal influence a la the Haunted, but then the music carries a more chilling vibe in the vein of Type O Negative, witch delicate and not at all overpowering keyboard overlays. The final ingredient here is a healthy dosage of Hatebreed love. "On Wings of Lead" quickly stands out as the album's most memorable track with a brief but almost farmiliar guitar melody backing another five-minute bout of shredder. "City Of The Condemned" show's the band's wide range with a grind beat intro, broken down to a more "chug" tempo to display their metal abilities (including a few Slayeresque guitar pinches) and finally the song concludes with a slower, crushing hardcore conclusion. It's tough to take a wide range of influences and blend them as successfully as Bleeding Through has done with this release. This Is Love, This Is Murderous will appease hardcore fans every bit as much as the metal crowd, and maybe even gets a few to cross over. I honestly could not be any more impressed with this band's progress so far. This is a shredding release and an essential listen.

It's an overdone and highly redundant genre - this thing that we call hardcore. Let's face it, it's a beast that hasn't been re-invented since the likes of Frodus. Sure, we can sit there and say that The Blood Brothers and several others are doing inventive things, but let's face it - those chaps are just riding on the coattails of Swedish bombshells The Refused (who themselves aren't even that original if you look at the 80's bands they copped their moves and sound from). Are Bleeding Through out to re-invent hardcore? Hardly. But they are out to smash in the collective faces of all who encounter them. With This Is Love, This Is Murderous, their third record, the band rages with more surging energy then any of their previous efforts ever dared to let on too. Brandan (ex-Throwdown/Eighteen Visions)'s bludgeoning roar in the record's second track Sweet Vampirous is lethal in that it'll send nothing less then chills down the spine of the listener. As the record runs its course, the band plays measure after measure of black metal influenced hardcore that proves to be more and more ferocious upon each repeated listen. The drums are played with deadly precision as the double bass melds with the twin guitar attack to create a bed of devastating music that is only complemented by the dark keyboard laced throughout the entire record. Bleeding Through may not be doing anything new - but in the end, that's all relative anyway. With This Is Love, This Is Murderous, they show why they're one of the most energetic and brutal acts around today.

Bleeding Through is a Gothic looking sextet whose musical output is as dark and brooding as Type O Negative, yet as crushingly heavy as The Haunted. The 12-track metalcore offering from this California group is as in your face and blistering as any Swedish metal band expects to be, yet there's a sweepingly haunting effect to songs like "Number Seven with a Bullet" that underscores the brutality. Running the spectrum of metal, from graphic artwork to a guttural growl that rivals many of metal's premiere throats, Bleeding Through come off as quite possibly the next big thing in metal, as both brute force and crossover appeal is evident in songs like "City of the Condemned" and "Revenge I Seek". If you dig In Flames, Hatebreed, and Dimmu Borgir, then Bleeding Through is the perfect mix of those three bands in one.

"OCHC outfit deliver career defining album" SO when exactly did Orange County, California cease being the home of sun kissed pop-punk and start to become the breeding ground for a new generation of the brashest, edgiest bands the world of hard rock has seen for many a year? Suddenly it's out with the happy, pristine pop melodies of Gwen's and Dexter's and in with a new blend of fist-fighting, head-smashing thrash metal meets hardcore - a combination that Bleeding Through seem to have nailed down to a pulverising tee with their latest opus 'This Is Love, This is murderous'. Having already clocked up critical acclaim with last year's 'Portrait of the Goddess', Bleeding Through have often hinted at being capable of that little something more than the rest of the some-what standard hardcore pack, and 'TIL,TIM' more than fits the bill. Like Jamie Lee Curtis fleeing from Michael Myers in Halloween, you never know what blood curdling horror is around the next corner. 'This Is Love_' is an uneasy, intense and joyously neurotic experience. Psychopathic, love-sick lyrics and haunting keyboards fight for space in amongst stifling, varied riffage while the drums rage from yer standard beat-down hardcore all the way to the occasional metallic blast beat, and are so fucking intense it's impossible to ignore. The real jewel in Bleeding Through's collective crown though must be the barrage of sheer ferocity with which frontman Brandan Schieppati delivers his dementia plagued lyrics. A mess of horrific violence and touching affection, this is the sort of work you would expect if Jason Vorhees was to take to the mountains with a quill and parchment and write to you a poem about his love-life. Witness the maniacal way that Schieppati delivers the line 'You were supposed to be there/You were supposed to be the truth/I hate you/I love you' on 'What I Bleed Without You' or the suicidal call for help on 'Mutilation', this is the sound of a man at unease with the world. No tricks, no faux pas emotions, this is the sound of a man on the edge and this only adds to the vitality of Bleeding Through. With Avenged Sevenfold and now Bleeding Through, heaven knows what they're putting in the water down in Orange County but long may the sickness continue to spread. A war is about to be raged against the lightweights who have ruined our scene for far too long. One question remains: Which side are you on?

The recent success of AFI has had the knock-on effect of shedding black light on a number of similarity eyeliner caked acts, including California's Avenged Sevenfold and now Bleeding Through. The gothic spirit of Glenn Danzig's Samhain may be alive and well (if those are the right words...) in this wave of Max Factored reprobates but despite a shared visual identity, few of these bands actually sound alike. Bleeding Through shares the Pantera fixation of fellow countrymen A7X but are actually a slightly meatier proposition perhaps to a bruising Ulrich Wild (Deftones, Static-X) production. 'This Is Love, This Is Murderous' also carries a definite European flavour in its weighty, gut-punch guitars and brutal vocals, which often bear traces of Scandinavian influence without subtracting from the bands individuality. Guitarists Brian and Scott pummel with the unstoppable force of 10,000 rhinos, the dexterity of Dimebag Darrell and the precision of a heatseeking missile. Sure, it's exhausting stuff, but the raw energy given off is infectious and - despite the obvious darkness in the bands themes and imagery - joyous. On the whole, a more-than-substantial effort with much to offer the discerning metal fan.

Emerging from the increasingly-cluttered realm of Orange County's hardcore scene, BLEEDING THROUGH have savagely gouged the competition with This is Love, This is Murderous , a dangerously heavy and visceral new album. Though having been lambasted by some in the past for trying to be Swedish or having a Hot Topic image ,BLEEDING THROUGH destroys any negative criticism from the second you hear the voice of Willem Dafoe 's character from the film Boondock Saints on the first track, " Love Lost in a Hail of Gunfire ." From that point on, tempos shift, breakdowns blast, and vocalist Brandan Schieppati emits some of the most enraged throat-bursting snarls this side of Howard Jones. The biggest point of interest found in these 12 tracks, however, is the number of influences the band proudly wears on its sleeve. The keyboards reflect recent DIMMU BORGIR material, the guitarists churn out pounding riffs akin to what you'd hear in a POISON THE WELL vs. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE impressions contest (as do the mentioned vocals), and the drums are some of the fastest and most precise in any record in recent memory. The crushing intro to closing track, " Revenge I Seek ," captures all members of the band in their prime, despite the fact that the lyrics to this one do little to defend accusations of a Hot Topic image: "Fuck you forever/I'll despise you for the rest of these days/Fuck you forever I'll fucking hate you for the rest of my life/Why the fuck did i let you into my heart." Despite the over-the-top vibe, albeit sonically crushing brutality, of the closing track, the other 11 tracks are a metalhead's dream -- most noteworthy are " On Wings of Lead ," " Dead Like Me ," and " Number Seven With a Bullet ." With this album, BLEEDING THROUGH harnesses the power and fury of metal in its purest form, kicking serious ass and taking no prisoners.

While Metallica are busy soiling not their own legacy, but the good name of hard music with their embarrasing, dad-at-disco esque take on metal, young and emerging acts such as Bleeding Through are already done with mastering the dark art of the genre- now all that's left to do is steal the crown off the heads of their elders. 'This is Love, This is Murderous' - Orange County sextet's debut for the Trustkill Family is a 12 track showcase of how heavy metal should sound in 2003; vital, violent, and excitingly ominous. Interweaving their ferocious fretboard assaults with dynamic drumming and huge, theatrical keyboards (courtesy of the gorgeous Marta), Bleeding Through are as epic as they are aggressive; their approach to songwritting paying as much attention to texture and depth as it does to the glory of the searing beatdown. Along with likeminded souls Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu, Bleeding Through are the leaders of the gothic metal revolution, and 'This is Love, This is Murderous' is an impressive statement of intent that- if justice is to be served in anyway- will one day go down in metal hall of fame as a genre defining landmark. As I believe Marilyn Manson says, "this is the new shit." Paging Messrs Hetfield and Ulrich to watch their backs...

Bleeding Through, upon initial appearances, is a band made up of punk rockers on a hardcore label that want to be in a Swedish metal band. Of these preconceived notions, only the latter is close to the truth. The Band isn't from Sweden, but they are 100% fucking metal. The vocals sound like they could be from any of several bands normally associated with Century Media. The drumming is the most hardcore-styled element of the band's sound, but there are still subtle nuances that reveal the background of the songs writers, like the placements of blast beats and some the break down structures. The guitars are a cross between what one would expect on a King Diamond album mixed with Hatebreed style power chords, with even a bit of old style Integrity thrown in. The most "metal" ingredient here is the harpsichord style keyboards; you couldn't find something more spooky and evil on a Dimmu Borgir record. This is the real deal, and I think it will appeal to fans of the Metalfest as much as it would to fans of Hellfest. This could be the start of a new wave of American heavy metal.

With Valentine's Day two months away, it seems logical that those who are scorned with love might find some satisfaction with Bleeding Through's new album. After all, love isn't always roses. Let's face it: Sometimes it can feel like a steak knife through a bloody heart. Hence the album cover. The member's of Orange County's much talked-about metalcore band. Bleeding Through have a pretty good grasp on how failed relationships feel and they have turned those emotions into a 12-track third album. And with some titles like "Number Seven With a Bullet," "What I Bleed Without You" and "Dead Like Me," it's clear to see the themes the band is trying to express. What separates Bleeding Through from a lot of other bands in their genre (well, other than lyrical content) is the sound. While the sextet uses the typical loud guitars and screaming vocals, there's a unique, mesmerizing element added in keyboardist Martha's goth-like sounds. It adds to what the band is trying to get across and adds a sense of sadness to the blinding aggression. It also should be noted that while the lyrics hammer home the violence-in-love theme, the cover and CD booklet art do the same - sometimes in an even more gruesome manner. So if you're angry and lost in love, know you're not alone and that Bleeding Through's new album is a tragically awesome way to help you pull through. Just don't go doing what that guy and girl are puling off in the booklet's centerfold. RIYL: Pantera, Every Time I Die, the Bled.

This is the latest offering from this four year old Orange County metal core band led by former guitarist of Eighteen Visions and Throwdown. They are probably the most famous metal core band at the moment thanks to their spectacular crash in December that landed them all over national news stations. This is more what I was expecting from Scars Of Tomorrow's latest - haunting keyboards, melodic singing, death metal influenced metal core. The band also has a big Pantera influence making for a very metal sounding album. They walk a fine line but thankfully they keep enough of a hard core sound in there which kept this in my stereo a little bit longer.

Hardcore and metal come head to head on Bleeding Through's This is Love, This is Murderous. Hardcore's vocal style clashes with metal's power in an explosion of sound. To augment their sound, keyboards and other electronics add to the atmosphere, while the occasional melodic vocal interlude stirs things up a bit.

It's funny when you think about it, how Bleeding Through used to be considered a side project among many people not in the band. But when you talk to anyone in the band, they would tell you this is a serious project and not a side project. Now the band have released three well received albums, two through Indecision Records and their newest one on Trustkill. Their goal is to get the word out on them to people that they are America's premiere metal band. And this release does nothing but support that claim. The album is a kick in the balls. The band, while establishing itself as a metal band, has some traces of hardcore in it, which have always been a trait of the band. The breakdowns are brutal and get your attention and the music overall just punches you in the face over and over again. The lead singer Brendan mixes it up a bit with the vocals. Sometimes it's a very deep growl and other times its very soothing singing. The rest of the band produce a very violent sound to offset the singing. The Drumming is mainly a metal type drumming, kinda like all the Swedish metal bands, but the drumming can also be a bit hardcore like Hatebreed. It gives the band really mixes things up, as they have on previous releases. Also, for people not familiar with a band, they have a keyboard player which just completes the band. It's tough to pinpoint what the strongest song on the album is, but I will have to go with "Revenge I Seek." It showcases the bands thrash side while giving fans of 18 Visions and Throwdown a very good hardcore song. The breakdown comes in at the right time and makes you want to move. It's the perfect song to end an album. This band is going nowhere but up, after just finishing a successful string of dates with AFI and Hot Water Music. The band is about to go out on the road with Chimaira, Soilwork, And Cannae. It will be stopping in Jersey on November 22nd at the Cricket Club. This tour will no doubt cement the band as the best metal or metalcore outfit in the states.

When did Bleeding Through get to be so metal? This is Love, This is Murderous is an aggressive, haunting mix of hardcore guitar riffs and metal-inspired songwriting. The electronic samples by keyboardist Marta help paint a dark and moody backdrop that is reminiscent of the best of Shadows Fall. So heavy it sounds like it might almost self destruct, Bleeding Through are definitely attempting to stretch the boundaries that confine them in their "metalcore" genre. Playing up images of violence and love, the band is taking the offensive here and stirring up some ferocious yet seductive sounds. "On Wings of Lead" and "City of the Condemned" are two tracks sure to get you uncomfortable in your seat. This record is sure to make both metal and hardcore fans pretty darn happy.

Ok, let's just get the cliches out of the way... "Punishing", "pummeling", "driving." Ok, that's just a few, but metal/hardcore has been running in the same ruts for years now. And to read a review of any band from this genre is to know the repetitive nature. The reviews are just as bland as the bands themselves. "Totally crushing metal... Heavy as all hell...". It goes on and on. But before I make this a rant about metal journalism, lets talk about Bleeding Through. Bleeding Through is a band that seems to be trying to shed the stereotypical formula of metalcore. Sure, they blend the worlds of hardcore and metal together, but they do it in a refreshing and appealing way. This Orange County band as assembled an album, twelve tracks and forty-five minutes long, of (get ready for the cliches) pure violence and hatred, all championed by an amazingly technical and destructive soundtrack. The violence comes from the form of hyper-aggressive lyrics of lead man Brandan Schieppati. Most of the lyrics can be written off as tough guy posturing, but it's also part of their charm. The dark, aggressive nature of his words seem to hearken back to metal of old, where all they sang about was the most vile and disgusting acts. Sure, the lyrics might seem a bit trite and predicable, but that's kind of the fun of heavy music isn't it? Their sound is a blend of both sides of the fence. Take a little Shadows Fall, Pantera, Hatebreed, and even some At The Gates, and you are just starting to get close to the sound. You also have to figure in their obvious love for black metal riffing, meshing tremolo picking with explosively fast drumming and a nice, haunting keyboard layer for good measure. It all washes into a great mix of what each style (metal, hardcore, and black metal) have to offer. The production is fantastic. Crisp, clean guitar tones layered (and layered) over tight drums and a nicely blended keyboard tone. It's a necessity for metal to be heard through a good recording. Anything less leaves you unsure about the music, and usually lacks any sort of power. My only complaint is that the mastering seems a bit quiet. With a record like this you want (need) to crank it up to get the full effect... but, that is quickly remedied by turning the stereo a little louder than normal, so I guess it's not a real problem. This should fit well into any heavy music fans record collection. It doesn't matter if you sway more towards hardcore or metal with this one, its got something for everyone. It's definitely going to be a lynch pin in my heavy music rotation. If you need some to get your blood pumping and your jaw firmly clenched, you'll find what you need with "This Is Love, This Is Murderous".

As if in defiance of the influx of countless pop punk bands that infiltrate the airwaves and television screens at the moment, metalcore is emerging as the new genre to take the music one step further and counteract the balance that has been so one sided for what seems an eternity. One act emerging from the scene is the Orange County six-piece sensation Bleeding Through. In the four years since the group was founded, the visions shared by vocalist Brandan Schieppati (Ex-Throwdown/Eighteen Visions), guitarists Scott Danough and Brian Leppke, bassist Ryan Wombacher, keyboardist Marta and drummer Derek Youngsma has not been diminished with the move to Truskill Records for their third album (Their previous albums being 2001's Dust To Ashes and last years Portrait Of The Goddess), and quite possibly best release to date. The European metal sound is still a firm feature within the Bleeding Through sound, but unlike previous albums, seems to given a denser intensity and harder edge. There's no mistaking the power the band are capable of drumming up with the opening attack of 'Love Lost In A Hail Of Gun Fire' and the follow up 'Sweet Vampirous'. The twin guitar attack is delivered with devastating ferocity, while Marta's atmospheric keyboards takes the song from being pure metalcore to something more along the lines of the Soilwork atmosphere. Schieppati also provides plenty of variation throughout with vocals that incorporate both the melodic with the tortured, making Bleeding Through something different to the current crop of one-dimensional metalcore acts on the scene. The Haunted, Hatebreed and Killswitch Engage all come to mind with tracks such as 'Number Seven With A Bullet', 'Mutilation' and 'What I Bleed Without You', while the melodic aspect of the band features on the albums highlight 'On Wings Of Lead'. Urlich Wild's production (Pantera, Deftones) on This Is Love, This Is Murderous must also be pointed out as a strong selling point as he's given Bleeding Through a much needed heaviness in the guitars, leading to the sharp European sound the band were obviously after in the first place. This Is Love, This Is Murderous is a violent abrasive album that captures perhaps what most of this sort don't, and that is something that will appeal to both the hardcore and metal audiences alike.

First off, this is more than a record; this is a near-religious experience. It will leave you breathless and begging for more, as each track shakes every nerve in your being... Beginning their career with the bone breaking, skull splitting "Dust To Ashes" and making the best record of 2002 with "Portrait Of The Goddess," most would say the only place to go is down, yet not for these Orange County metalcore visionaries. Instead, they skyrocket into the very highest layers of the atmosphere with beautiful keyboard melodies and anguished prose that eventually come crashing to earth at full speed, growing wings of flame, making the fiercest impact, leaving craters that stretch as wide and go as deep as the heartbreak that dominates this record. "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" features ten brand new tracks and two re-recorded faves ("Shadow Walker", "Revenge I Seek"), with masterful production courtesy of Ulrich Wild, best known for his work with bands such as Pantera, Deftones and Static-X. Fresh cuts like "Love Lost In A Hail Of Gunfire", "Number Seven With A Bullet","What I Bleed Without You", "Murder By Numbers" and the title track will have you ready to kill everyone on the dancefloor, while "On Wings Of Lead" is so achingly gorgeous, you'll be swooning in no time. Guitarists Scott Danough and Brian Lepke are like vultures; taking riffs and carving out the meatiest portions, until there are only glistening bones left, while bassist Ryan caresses each note of audio flesh before he strikes, his talented fangs sinking in, leaving both marks of violence and beauty. Drummer Derek Youngsma is reminiscent of a human wrecking ball, destroying everything in his path, with stunning accuracy and remarkable brutality. Vocalist Brandan Schieppati is a mouthpiece of pure anger, yet he allows his roar to be softened with an angelic touch, and while this dynamic is not exactly an uncommon occurrence in the hardcore/metal scene, Schiepatti makes it seems like a brand new phenomenon. Sadly, this cd marks the departure of keyboardist Molly Street, whose work here is excellent as always, possibly her finest yet. Subtle, yet integral, the keyboard portions not only help to define Bleeding Through as a band, they add more than just a pretty, melodic background; they actually make BT even heavier than they already are, a feat not easily accomplished. Yet, while Street is no longer a part of Bleeding Through, I can say from witnessing a recent live performance that new keyboardist Marta is an excellent addition to the band. I know there are quite a few in the scene who think Bleeding Through are just another band doing the whole Swedish riffs with hardcore breakdowns thing, and the only thing that sets them apart is the presence of a keyboardist, a misnomer that saddens me. Bleeding Through is different from most of the hardcore/metal acts out there, not just the ones who harbor a similar sound, because they are simply better, quite possibly the best at what they do, at what they are. Ex- Eighteen Visions, Throwdown and Cast In Stone members are not the deciding factors in the debate on the quality of their output. Too often I read reviews/articles about them that are about how they wear make up and nice clothing, as though the bands personal choices in style ever hinder from their abilities as musicians/artists. It's those critics rigid ideas that such factors truly make a difference, not Bleeding Through's personal wardrobe choices, that is destroying hardcore. This is a band whose members have all spent years paying dues, who still are showing consistent respect/support of local clubs/bands. I always seem them at shows, talking to everyone, being an example that the new kids can look up to. Bleeding Through care about their fans, their friends, their scene and that's more than I can say about those who are infatuated with whether or not a band wears Diesel jeans. While "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" is overall an intense, personal catharsis, it undeniably has a spirit of "core, edge, mosh" that will leave even the most deep seated cynic satisfied. Though this is their third record in as many years, Bleeding Through shows no signs of slowing down, losing their power or forgetting their roots. Without a doubt, one of the most influential bands in the new breed of hardcore/metal, and "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" is concrete proof of that, as thick and as heavy as each track on it.

Just what is metalcore, anyway? I don’t even know anymore. You can’t miss the sticker on the Bleeding Through jewel case proclaiming it the most talked about metalcore album "of the new millennium." (Any bets as to when that phrase will stop being used?) But metalcore seems to be more about the metal and less about the ‘core. Bleeding Through certainly is. In fact, through the album’s first two songs (one of which is called "Sweet Vampirous"), Bleeding Through sounds like this exploding genre called metalcore, crashing into Dimmu Borgir. But as the keyboards take a break around the middle of the record, the scales tip more toward the ‘core. Riffs that vaguely sound Swedish, rough, hardcore vocals. Then the Dimmu feeling comes back, thrown in with a bit of Cradle of Filth, too. And Bleeding Through play this up a bit in their image. Six members, Gothy eye makeup, sex and bloodletting. The pictures of blood splatters and an attractive young couple nonchalantly holding guns amongst revolting carnage makes This is Love, This is Murderous look like the Tarantino metalcore album. And with the lyrics about how the singer will get revenge on all the people who hurt him, Bleeding Through would fit right in on the upcoming "Kill Bill" movies. (7.5/10)

"Things happen for a reason," such is a popular albeit redundant excuse for one's misfortunes. Yet, sometimes this inanity makes sense as demonstrates the case of a former Throwdown guitarist, Brandan Schieppati, who moved from an already established band to start something he could call his own. Now three years later, Orange County's stalwarts on the rise, Bleeding Through have just released a follow-up to an awesome Portrait of the Goddess ? an album that took this metalhead by surprise. As a result, I blame my high expectations as the reason for my initial disappointment with This is Love, This is Murderous. Portrait of the Goddess was an instantaneous hit. Seldom does one hear a band effectively mix black metal and Gothenburg guitar riffs with hardcore breakdowns and tasteful keyboards. Yet, the new material acts as a double-edge sword. While it commendably displays a mature Bleeding Through that no longer wants to be called a metalcore band, it also showcases a more straight-ahead metal approach, particularly in guitar riffs, that sacrifices a lot of the melody for the overall brutality. Now, before some of you get the idea that I am hatin', let me make one thing clear: after repeated listens, not only does This is Love, This is Murderous live up to all the hype, it simply overpowers Portrait of the Goddess. This bad boy sounds pissed! Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire starts things off with three lines that become the motto of this record: "This was a fucking bomb. For a few seconds, this place was Armageddon. There was a fire fight!" What follows is musically the song that makes every track off Portrait? sound feeble. Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire has it all: bruising guitar riffs, two smashing breakdowns that rival the one in Rise, Brandan's signature growls a la Phil Anselmo, and Marta's subtle yet defined synth work that serves as a great addition to the overall atmosphere. Although the next track, Sweet Vampirous is a waste of a minute and a half, it is the only filler track on This is Love, This is Murderous, as every composition from Number Seven With a Bullet to the closer, Revenge I Seek, punishes the listener with a brutally honest metal sound that separates Bleeding Through from the rest of the pack. Lyrically, This is Love, This is Murderous contains a bit more cursing than the previous record (just listen to City of the Condemned), but Brandan's tales of hate and revenge are always entertaining to read and make for some of the best moments to sing along to. Moreover, this time around, the production duties are handled by the legend, Ulrich Wild, and the sound speaks for itself. The recording is thick and makes these new songs sound ultra heavy. Overall, This is Love, This is Murderous showcases a very mature offering from still a young band that will only get better and bigger in the future. You'll see this one on many of the the year-end Best of lists. Standout Tracks: "Love Lost in a Hail of Gunfire", "On Wings of Lead", "Mutilation", "Murder by Numbers"

Any cd that starts off with a quote from Boondock Saints just has to be hardcore. Bleeding Through are kind of dark hardcore band. They have typical hardcore riffs and harmonics in the guitars, bass, and drums, but then they have a little keyboards and electronics going on that are downright spooky. The cd art is very creative also. White backgrounds with a lot of blood, knives, guns, and hearts, real hearts though... with knives stuck through them. Bleeding Through is a band that has been on the scene for a while and has a couple cds under their belt. This band has a pretty reasonable following, but might tap into a few more fans with this genres growing presence. Bands like Avenged Sevenfold getting noticed will help Bleeding Through out. If you are into this scene then you know who you are. This band has a little more hardcore in them and less death-metal than others in this genre. If you are into Shadows Fall, Avenged, or Killswitch Engage then give this guys (and girl) a really good listen because they are blessed musicians. Rating: 7 out of 10

Hands down the best metalcore release of 2003. Bleeding Through break forth with their debut on Trustkill a epic album with strength and passion that they call 'This Is Love, This Is Murderous'. Breaking out from a scene crowded with bands is not always easy, but when you set the standard for brutality its tough not to get noticed. Orange County, California manages to breed some of the best bands, it must be something in the drinking water. This six-piece has managed to record one of the best albums I have heard in a long time. I can honestly say that all the people who felt like these guys were going to not live up to their expectations should give the first song a listen. 'Love Lost In a Hale of Gun Fire' begins the mayhem delivering some of the most earth shattering metal.. it's that tough that you have to gear up and get ready for the next forty-five minutes of your life. Every aspect is clearly thought out from the eerie keyboard background noises to some of the most fierce basslines; this is the perfect song to display the force known as Bleeding Through. Echo'ing through other amazing songs that will make your blood flow and your heart pump are some of the standout tracks such as 'Number Seven With a Bullet', the short but incredibly intense 'Sweet Vampirous', as well as all the pain and angst you can feel through 'Mutilation', 'City of the Condemned', and 'What I Bleed Without You'. Without naming all the tracks because I feel that this album as a whole is very solid, I must endulge upon the best track 'Revenge I Seek', the last song. A powerful intro leads directly into the most impressive display of brutality I have heard in a long time. Imagine a group of 50 kids busting into full hardcore dancing during this song, its very easy to see, and at the same time as being hard its equally as catchy. *9.5/10* - Blistering metal mixes with some touches of hardcore make Bleeding Through the band to watch in my eyes for the rest of 2003 and well into 2004. Trustkill has sure made a good investment in signing these guys and if the live show I saw from them was any indication, be prepared for one of the most rampant, exciting, and energetic shows you have seen in a long time. I was heavily impressed with their show and how the singer was able to capture the crowd and have them acting on any command he gave them. This will definately be one of the best albums of 2003.

Ever really liked something, but yet felt like something was missing? That's how I felt when listening to this release. Vocally Brandan Schieppati is amazing. He hits every note and grunts with the best of them. However, musically the band takes on a Cradle Of Filth feel, with a slight touch of hardcore. Does it work? Yeah! Does it move me? Not all that much! Not that the band stinks, they are incredibly talented, technical, live they are deafening! And lyrically Brandan mouths off alot of truth. But in terms of being original, I felt that the sound lacked. Metalcore meets the European synth. Plus the synth has the same sound through out each track. The individual songs really have a hard time differing from one another. There are no parts, or breakdowns, just alot of gore....which is not a bad thing, just not overly moving! In a year when the Metalcore genre has pumped out new CD's from Lamb Of God, Cannae, As I Lay Dying, Cataract, and Blood Has Been Shed, it will be very difficult to top those releases. Any other year this record would be tops in my mind. It is aggressive, deadly, and the synth is a nice touch for a Metalcore record. I am just a spoiled brat! With the previous releases from the bands mentioned earlier, it is hard for me to say this release tops those efforts. However, if you are a fan of Hardcore, "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" is for you! If you are a fan of Metalcore, "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" is for you! If your a fan of the technical European sound, then "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" is for you! There is something to be said for that. I just wish the song writing was mixed up a little more! Riffs, breakdowns, guitar solos(like the brief one on "This Is Love, This Murderous"), anything to break up the constant venomous onslaught.

Bleeding Through have been honing their skills and with each release they seem to leave a little more of the metalcore behind and go more for a straight metal approach. "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" is the group's newest and most mature release. It finds the group of Orange County, California natives realizing their potential in the melodic metal circuit. The songs are written more strongly than they have been in the past and, as I said, they have abandoned most of what was still around from their metalcore days. You'll be hard pressed to find dance parts here, having been phased out and often replaced by melodic riffing or chugging open chord grooves. However, there seems to be a bit of a tradeoff. The album is more metal overall, but it also seems to be lacking in dynamics now. Each song sounds like the one preceding and following it. Also, Bleeding Through have started to incorporate clean vocals into the music, which I can't stand. They're not used often, but I wish they weren't there at all. The guitar playing, and even moreso the keyboard work, seem to be a lot stronger than before. Ulrich Wild, producer of such bands as Pantera and Deftones, does a bang up job at making "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" sound great. Bleeding Through have provided little to no net gain with "This Is Love, This Is Murderous". Some areas have improved, some have stayed the same and some have dissolved. The album has some crossover appeal and does display a level of quality penmanship that most other metalcore records lack, but Bleeding Through are trying to break into the metal market and it's going to require a little more effort on their part to get noticed there.

Six months ago, I had no idea what this band sounded like. That's not to say I wasn't interested, because coming from an always-on label like Indecision Records, they would never sign a band that I would not be interested in, but it was not til recently that I discovered the band's debut LP Portrait of the Goddess . Needless to say, I was shocked. Bleeding Through really transcend their ridiculous image and have some of the best metal chops of anyone I've heard in sometime, certainly from the states. This Is Love, This Is Murderous , with a production hand lent by Ulrich Wild (Pantera, Deftones), not only is one of the best records I have heard in 2003, but firmly plants Bleeding Through near the top of my favorites list. Opening with a tense sound clip from the scene hit "The Boondock Saints," Bleeding Through picks up exactly where Portrait of the Goddess left off. What impresses me most about Bleeding Through is they manage to embrace all the elements of death metal that I love, and leave out all the ones I don't. There's a very defined Swedish black-metal influence a la the Haunted, but then the music carries a more chilling vibe in the vein of Type O Negative, witch delicate and not at all overpowering keyboard overlays. The final ingedient here is a healthy dosage of Hatebreed love. "On Wings Of Lead" quickly stands out as the album's most memorable track with a brief but almost familiar guitar melody backing another five minute bout of shreddery. "City Of The Condemned" show's the band's wide range with a grind beat intro, broken down to a more "chug" tempo to display their metal abilities (including a few Slayeresque guitar pinches), and finally the song concludes with a slower, crushing hardcore conclusion. It's tough to take a wide range of influences and blend them as successfully as Bleeding Through have done with this release. This Is Love, This Is Murderous will appease hardcore fans every bit as much as the metal crowd, and maybe even get a few to cross over. I honestly could not be any more impressed with this band's progress so far. This is a shredding release and an essential listen.

Without doubt one of 2003's best metal releases, Bleeding Through bring us their debut for Trustkill, 'This Is Love, This Is Murderous'. Their previous album, 'Portrait of a Goddess', was something special in it's own right, but these guys have just completely blown any past material out of the water and are now ready to really establish themselves as one of the top metal acts going around. Though once easily labeled as a metalcore band, they seem to leave more and more of that style behind with each release in favour of straight-up metal, and this album only highlights their expertise for said style of music. There are traces of hardcore/metalcore remaining (namely in the breakdowns), but 'This Is Love, This Is Murderous' is a showcase of a band who know exactly what to take from each genre to create an eclectic brand of heavy music that will surely appeal to a wide range of people. Everything on this album is just done to magnificent levels. The vocals are flawless; ranging from brutal death metal growls to some surprisingly opulent singing, while the melodic metal guitars are at times astoundingly severe to even highly catchy (ala Soilwork). The drumming ranges from Hatebreed-style double bass fury, to rapid thrash metal akin to At The Gates or Darkest Hour, and are complemented nicely by some really intense basslines. One of the more impressive aspects of Bleeding Through has always been their use of electronics. While I've never been a fan of electronics in heavier music, this band has always used them in a highly-competent manner. Yes, they are noticeable, but they are mostly used as additional background music, rather than creeping into monotonous industrial metal territory where they would outshine the rest of the band. The standout is definitely 'On Wings of Lead', with it's melodic lead riff and the addition of emotive clean-sung vocals appearing amidst the general chaos of the rest of the track. The more paced numbers such as 'Sweet Vampirous', 'Shadow Walker' and 'City of The Condemned' expose their thrash tendencies, while 'Number Seven With a Bullet' and album closer 'Revenge I Seek' show the more metalcore leanings of old with their brutal chugging riffs. With each track being pretty fantastic, it's possible to discuss them all in-depth, but more importantly, it means that as a whole, this album is amazing. Bleeding Through haven't departed too far from previous outings, but have continued to refine their sound, and just may have perfected it with 'This Is Love, This Is Murderous'. Easily one of the finest albums 2003 will see.

Bleeding Through...what can I say that you all don't Already know? They're metal, they're brutal, and they're Currently one of the biggest bands in hardcore. On This Is Love, This is Murderous, they pick up were Portrait Of the Goddess left on, and made everything heavier, Tighter, and even more furious. If you like it metal , or Heavy, or angry, you should already have this and be Pissed at me for wasting your time having to read this Review. I feel sorry for all of those mall punks that are going into those Bleeding Through shows is doing with Afi. There's going to be thousands of black eyeliner clad Sixteen year olds in Middle America with broken noses Concussions thanks to the raging frenzy Bleeding Through Drives the crowd into. Listen up Oklahoma, get this record Ahead of time, so you know all of the proper times to duck and hide during their set.