Review: “You Are Filth” EP by Death Blooms

Liverpool natives Death Blooms have been regulars on the scene for a couple of years now with their previous Self Titled EP appearing in 2017. Getting a slot at Download Festival last summer and shows in support of King 810 and Ded last year put them firmly on the map for 2019.

The high energy modern take on the Nu-Metal sound that presented itself with their debut has been maintained and that is obvious from the very start with some distinct early KoRn touches in opener “Crosses” that are very era reminiscent. The songs catchy riffs and bolder clean sung chorus are a nice touch and it should be a crowd pleasing mid set song. It’s nothing new, but it doesn’t need to be because it’s done with style and panache. “Filth” continues that vibe with a climbing riff that bursts into some wordy lyrics for a the verse before a clean sung passage that showcases more of the vocal range. We know that the band are American Head Charge fans and that influence is really obvious during some of the aching clean vocals but what the band do well is keep the energy and flow by keeping things tight. Make no mistake, these are well crafted tracks that give the impression that they’ve been around for a while and polished to their finest shine. The only thing that is lacking is some lead work. Certainly, no-one has signed up for Synth Weekly like most other bands of the moment.

Bringing in the obvious Mental Health angel “Believe” sees the anthemic Nu-Metal sing along chorus at its heart and will no doubt be a live favourite. They’ve managed to keep it within containment so it doesn’t step too far from their core sound by driving the riffs between the extended chorus that makes sure the momentum of the earlier tracks is kept and it’s a good fit for their live set. “Rotting Away” is the more ambitious cut of the four on show here. After a Nu-Metal groove opening the guitars take on a hardcore punk vibe during the bridging sections that gives the song and the EP a lift. These guys prefer a breakdown to a solo and there are plenty of short burst rhythm guitar sections that give an ocean of headbang-ability. What Death Blooms need to do now is start writing that full length and get snapped up by a major label. This material has plenty of quality and has that mass appeal of both old and new fans of this genre. They’ve done their homework and written some quality tunes, despite this being an extension rather than expansion of their horizons [7.5/10]