The OC-based band Bleeding Through gave a lot of other metalcore bands a run for their money when they dropped "This Is Love, This Is Murderous" in 2003. They also scared the living shit out of parents who all of a sudden saw thir son or daughter dress up like every day was Halloween. That same band is back now with their love of all things bloody and brutal. "The Truth" sees the band taking their sound to the next level. The hard parts made me reduce the living room to rubble (check out the blastbeats in opening track "For Love And Failing") and the melodic parts are more melodic than ever ("Line In The Sand"). The brutality outweighs the mellow parts though, almost like trying to slap a bandaid on a gaping chestwound. Another big plus is that 2006 finds the band sounding more cohesive than before, combining hardcore, death, thrash and black metal with catchy choruses without even breaking a sweat. Anywayz, Bleeding Through definitely upped the ante with this one and if all the metalcore albums will sound like this in 2006, then I'm holding on to my underwear.

In all honesty, Bleeding Through's The Truth is the album of their career. While their breakthrough, This Is Love, This Is Murderous, gave a voice to the growing Orange County metalcore scene, it felt a little too one-dimensional. The Truth, thankfully, plays in 3-D. Just by pressing play, get ready to forcefully feel the crushing brutality as everyone in the band has upped their performance. Lead single "Kill To Believe" writes the final definition on the Bleeding Through sound, changing without hesitation from punishing low-end riffs and guttural growls to an energized chorus. Melodic death ballad "Line In the Sand" should take them to the – masses, but purists shouldn't shun as the instrumental title track, like the rest, just kills.

IN 1996, Orange County was the place No Doubt, Lit and Smash Mouth all called home. And while these happy-go-lucky, day-glo pop punks were busy jet-setting around the world singing about ‘Walking On The Sun,’ back at home the forces of darkness were slowly crawling out of the shadows. Now, some 10 years on, a perpetual black cloud seems to have descended over the California district, and the OC has become a breeding ground for something ultimately more malevolent. With bands like Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold and Eighteen Visions having already achieved a modicum of global success with their goth-tinged approach to heavy metal, it was only a matter of time before things were set to get a litttle more brutal. While fellow OC scenesters Bleeding Through may share their peers’ passion for eyeliner, bench pressing and sleeveless Misfits T-shirts, musically they have much more in common with seminal European black metallers At The Gates and the relentless aggression of thrash luminaries Slayer. Bleeding Through have been on the road constantly since their career defining ‘This Is Love, This Is Murderous’ album surfaced two and a half years ago. But if anyone was beginning to link the band’s love of touring with a creative block, then sit back because ‘The Truth’ is about to tear 2006 a new arsehole! Schieppati screaming ‘I don’t give a fuuuuuuck!’ before his demonic growl gives way to a cacophony of blast beat drumming and visceral, dowtuned shredding, album opener ‘For Love And Failing’ fulfils the band’s MO in an instant. And if it’s breakneck brutality that floats your boat, look no further than ‘ Confession’, ‘The Painkiller’ or the excellent minute-and-a-half of eardrum pummeling that is ‘She’s Gone’ for further listening material. That said, Bleeding Through aren’t merely a one trick metalcore pony. The band’s real strength lies in their ability to juxtapose the aforementioned barrage of riffage and ferocious tub-thumping with eerie keeyboard atmospherics and Schieppati’s darkly romantic, Nick Cave-esque lyrics. On the anthemic, Killswitch Engage-inspired salvo of ‘Love In Slow Motion’ he croons in a spawn-of-Satan kinda way: “ I’m still waiting here for her to hold my hand/For her to pick up the pieces of promises never kept’. And then he goes on to make a matter of fact statement about stabbing the young lady in question. The epic ‘Line In The Sand’ on the other hand favours clean vocals trussed up in gentle, swathing guitar. Admittedly this would be cringeworthy on any other record, but here this murder ballad provides a brief respite from the relentless shredding onslaught. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? It’s high time that old age was rewritten.

First appearing on radar’s with 03s breakthrough This Is Love, This Is Murderous Bleeding Through were an interesting proposition. Of course this was before the metal-hardcore hybrid (metalcore) became the pervasive force that it is now. The question so then on the lips of everyone who cares is ‘can Bleeding Through pull past all the imitators?’. One listen to The Truth is not enough to provide a satisfactory answer but by the fourth, sixth, even tenth time it’s run past your ears the answer has to be a resounding yes. The screamed “I don’t give a fuck!” that opens the album lets you know immediately what you are in for. The howled “I’m still breathing, I’m still fighting” during ‘Love In Slow Motion’ is a powerful statement. Bleeding Through have upped the anger, the aggression and the passion to produce an album that, like the blood soaked bodies featured on the artwork, literally pours forth from them, unrestrained. Brandan Schieppati has dropped the vague images from his lyrics, this time focusing more on giving an undiluted and upfront picture. “You can’t fuck the life out of me” he screams at the end of ‘The Pain Killer’. To read it that might come across as a little childish. Now think of Chimaira live, the audience chanting “I hate everyone” and you’re heading in the right direction of where he’s coming from. His passion is left loose, especially in ‘Kill To Believe’ where he opens his heart, “Do you remember on that night I couldn’t find the words to say I‘m sorry?”, before growling “Believe in me. I’ve emptied my soul, believe in me.” This isn’t your whining, Rivers Cumo-worshipping, glasses wearing, nerd boy pining after some girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day. His words of love are covered in bloody and tattered bandages. More black-clad bondage than back-pack wearing. Musically Bleeding Through have blossomed, unafraid of unleashing an unstoppable barrage of crunching riffs. It’s fast. It’s nasty. At times it’s beautiful. Barbed melodies are flung at you like shuriken, digging under the skin. You’ll only hurt yourself if you try to wrench them out. Then it spins around and a cascade of brutality rains blows down. The keyboard laden ‘Line In The Sand’ combines both sides of their persona perfectly. ‘She’s Gone’ and ‘For Love And Failing’ revel in being tremendously harsh and heavy. Anyone who has preconceptions about this group needs to hear this record. Anyone who has already decided they hate them (for whatever reason) needs to spend time with The Truth because they‘ve pointed their finger at you and cocked it like a gun. 2006 is going to be the year that Bleeding Through take over.

More often than not a band's claims of its new album being both heavier and more melodic than a highly regarded predecessor equates to nothing more than a steaming pile of donkey dung. In the case of BLEEDING THROUGH's "The Truth", the claim is basically truthful. One could argue whether it is heavier than "This is Love, This is Murderous", but it is easily just as heavy, the blazing speed, and hardcore-laced thrash blasting convincing and powerful. Greater use of melodic clean vocals on several tracks should make no one think that this is just another metalcore growl 'n' croon release. On the contrary, the band masterfully incorporates a higher degree of melody, as well as increased use of Marta's elegant and chilling keyboards, into the unquestionably brutal arrangements (with two exceptions that I'll point out shortly). "For Love and Failing" sets the album's mood with a bludgeoning attack and a damn catchy chorus. One can tell immediately that Rob Caggiano's (ANTHRAX) production is a smashing success, as the riffs are full of chunk and the rhythms full of thud. The entire affair feels more focused than "This is Love, This is Murderous", itself an impressive effort. "Love in Slow Motion", "Kill to Believe", and "Return to Sender" are all keepers, the group skillfully striking the balance between memorable songwriting and crushing heaviness. "Dearly Demented" is certainly a standout track, one that boasts the same deft mix of elements, the endearingly creepy vocal performance from Nick 13 (TIGER ARMY) on the chorus done exceptionally well. "Confession", "The Painkiller", "Hollywood Prison", "Tragedy of Empty Streets", and the minute-and-a-half "She's Gone" dispense with the clean vocals altogether and simply attack mercilessly. A gothy ballad called "Line in the Sand" is well written and fits comfortably amidst the heavier fare (it even includes a brief guitar solo), while the album-closing instrumental title track is haunting and lush, an appropriate way to come down from the adrenaline rush. Don't make the mistake of focusing on image and casting BLEEDING THROUGH into the metalcore and eyeliner scrap heap. Doing so might cause you to miss out on a crushingly heavy and eminently memorable album that gets better with repeat listens. Well done.

Bleeding Through has always had a propensity for lacing its brand of metal with keyboards and melodious vocals, but there is more of everything on "The Truth," which should further cement the band's growing notoriety. There is still plenty of brutal rock here, including opener "For Love and Failing" and "Hollywood Prison," which are skillfully executed acts of viciousness. The single "Kill to Believe" should go over well with live audiences, thanks to the sing-along chorus embedded in its punishing riffs and destructive breakdowns. Elsewhere, "Line in the Sand" is a strangely soothing foray into balladry, while the title cut is an uncharacteristic brooding instrumental. With its more introspective point of view, use of melody and exploration of sound, "The Truth" proves that Bleeding Through is capable of adding varying ingredients to its delightfully insolent recipe.

'The Truth' marks the third release of American outfit Bleeding Through. Most of the time this means a psychological marker in a band's career. The 'this is the moment feeling' is present with band and label and it often results in great albums. Really, just go and check third albums randomly and you'll see. Bleeding Through succeeded in showing their very own character on this album, yes even a style of their own. The previous releases were more or less a mixture of many different styles and influences and sometimes it was even hard to define. 'The Truth', however, is a prefect metal blue print. All the influences (hardcore, thrash, death) are still there but this time there is more coherence, and more: Bleeding Through has a true face of its own! 'For Love and Failing' is a perfect opening track that grabs you by the balls. 'Love in Slow Motion' has great, almost dramatic, choruses and 'The Painkiller' could have been a black metal track at points, mainly because of the keyboards. Those keyboards have an important role on the album without playing the main fiddle, if you know what I mean. 'Line In The Sand' marks a point of rest on the album and the band really shows what a ballad should sound like in 2006. Bleeding Through have it all in order to become a huge name also because this album will probably appeal to the metal masses in Europe.

Few bands have benefited quite as much from the recent popularity of mosh-y metalcore as Bleeding Through. Thanks to increasingly popular venues for heavy music, like Headbanger's Ball and Ozzfest, Bleeding Through and many others have quickly become big names among the teenage eyeliner-wearing crowd. The test that many legitimate underground fans put them to is the record they make after they've had a taste of success. While a band like Lamb of God remained virtually unchanged and stayed true to their original vision, Eighteen Visions, No Warning and Avenged Sevenfold all abandoned their musical pasts in a grab at higher record sales. Orange County's Bleeding Through find themselves in a great position to please everyone, as they remain on Trustkill (still technically an independent label) and didn't have to alter their sound too much to guarantee commercial success. While certainly not an artistic leap forward for the band, The Truth is undoubtedly an ingenious career move. Hard-edged and hook-laden, this record could elevate Bleeding Through to the level of Killswitch Engage or Hatebreed, bands who have released two records in the span of time that Bleeding Through has released four. I'm not saying I love this record, but there is no doubt in my mind that Bleeding Through achieved everything they wanted to and in that sense, the record is definitely a success. Produced by former Anthrax guitarist and Scrap 60 production team member Rob Caggiano (Cradle of Filth, A Life Once Lost, Dry Kill Logic), the recording possesses a potentially risky rawness that, thankfully for the band, never detracts from its accessibility. From the opening riff of "For Love And Failing," which features guest vocals from Soilent Green's Ben Falgoust, Bleeding Through make it clear that all melodic choruses and cheesy keyboard lines aside, they haven't forgotten how to play metal. There isn't a riff on this record I haven't heard before, but the fact that they've managed to write these lines into possible hit songs is the real accomplishment. "Kill To Believe" channels Slayer, Pantera and Cannibal Corpse before doing a complete 180 with one of the record's catchiest choruses. If you want to get the gist of this record in about ten minutes, listen to the trio of "Dearly Departed," "Line In The Sand," and "She's Gone." The first begins with a verse tailor-made for headbanging before leading into an anthemic chorus featuring guest vocals from Tiger Army's Nick 13, one of the album's most pleasant surprises. Finish it out with a couple of mosh parts and you get the idea. "Line In The Sand" is the album's only real miss, a pathetic attempt at balladry that ends up sounding like Type O Negative meets Avenged Sevenfold. It's full of cheesy keyboards, cheesier guitar solos and lyrics about being ugly; In short, it's a fat mall-goth chick's wet dream. The reason these songs work in succession though, is that "She's Gone" is a minute and a half of thrashy goodness and keyboard schlock that brings it all back home. Whenever Bleeding Through makes a misstep, they recover quickly and the listening experience rarely suffers because of it. Much like the record's packaging, which hides an obscenely gory picture behind an innocently plain sleeve, Bleeding Through's musical core is unquestionably heavy, hiding at times beneath commercially safe melodies. Bottom Line: As a longtime fan of hardcore and metal, it's easy to take out your aggression on bands like Bleeding Through, whose success has led to thousands of moronic androgynous pseudo-hardcore kids poorly bedroom-moshing across the nation and invading large club shows that would've once taken place in someone's basement, but it's just not fair. The Truth is a well-written, relatively adventurous record from a band with a legitimate place in metalcore. Expect to see Bleeding Through's star rise quickly in the next year.

Bleeding Through jump back into the spotlight releasing one of the first albums of the year. The Truth looks to kick off 2006 with a bang as the album is faster and more brutal but it seems a lot more melodic. The clean parts seem to come more often and sound better than previous efforts. The lyrics are definately more angry and that creates a sort of awe about the album. This followup to This Is Love, This Is Murderous is definately a step up from the previous effort.. look for big things from this band this year. Produced by Rob Caggiano (Cradle Of Filth, A Life Once Lost) this album screams out of your speakers with force and passion. If there's one thing to be said Bleeding Through have definately stepped up their work for this new album and that will have the metalcore kids all over drooling over this album.

The last thing I would do is blame a band for delivering exactly what they promise. But oddly enough, some of the criticisms people have of Bleeding Through come from the fact that they play metalcore and seem completely unashamed of that fact. It's strange that the genre is so divisive; many have written it off entirely while others have embraced it completely, taking even lousy bands that are in turn exalting them to fame. But in this rather wide spanning genre of hardcore-influenced metal or metal-influenced hardcore, there are the very good, and the very bad. I would contend that not only is Bleeding Through one of the former, they succeed admirably in addressing most complaints I had about their last album, This Is Love, This Is Murderous. That album suffered from a handful of foundational problems; the keyboards seemed to serve little or no purpose, the band seemed a little aimless with their songs and some of them were far too long. With The Truth, the band has successfully incorporated the keyboards, not just as a flourish but as an essential part of the songs; in addition, the songs have been stripped down to their important parts, and the whole album is far more confident and energetic. “For Love and Falling” comes out of the gate at escape velocity and the album manages to maintain that tempo for almost its entirety except for the somewhat odd “ballad” in “Line in the Sand.” I'm not entirely clear on the role of that song on the album, but I suppose any decent metal band needs an excuse to get those lighters in the air. Thankfully, songs like “She's Gone” are so unabashedly heavy and vicious that you can't help but find them compelling. With The Truth, the band has really delivered a near-exceptional metalcore release, though the genre-specific habit of destroying momentum to throw in a “hooky” melodic vocal line still seems to afflict some of the songs. The trouble with that is not just that the entire bands seems to come to a halt to accomodate it, but the fact that the melodies are well carried by Marta's keyboards; in fact, some of their best moments are the contrasting harshness of Brandan Schieppati's vocals and her more gentle keyboard lines. In August of 2005, Schieppati promised a far more “blunt and direct” album and The Truth certainly delivers not just that, but a memorable album that manages to surpass their peers in almost every way.