25th April 2022

Review: “Bleed-Abide” by Bodysnatcher

Returning with a new album every two years following their debut “Abandonment” in 2016, Melbourne, Florida Deathcore brutes Bodysnatcher have been a force to be reckoned with and having a wealth of experience and prior convictions from other projects has helped propel them to new heights. So where does 2022 find ex-Chainsaw Disembowelment vocalist Kyle Medina, drummer Chris Whited (ex-Dealey Plaza, King Conquer, Lost Fortune) bassist Kyle Schope, former Dealey Plaza and Becons guitarist Kyle Carter?

Every band talks up their new release before they land calling them “the heaviest” or the “most technical” when often they’re too close to it to comment after six months have passed they give a more accurate opinion. Bodysnatcher called “Bleed-Abide” their “darkest work to date” which considering some of the subject matter of “This Heavy Void” seems a really interesting choice of description. A mind clearing moment of clarity in “Bleed” is merely an amuse bouche before album title track “Abide” comes out swinging in typical fashion with what sounds like warped vinyl scratching floating on top of the brutal breakdowns piled so high that a fleet of tow trucks are required – and you’d expect nothing less from the quartet who put the core into Deathcore. Whited’s kit work in on point, each hit striking like a hammer as he rattles the bones with powerhouse rhythms to drive the band forward alongside bassist Schope. The bounce of “Absolved Of The Strings and Stone” is more than enough to get a pit started, the caustic vocals from Medina as brutal as the stuccato riff breaks with clear work having been put into time signatures, off kilter grooves and tempo shifts so that each cut packs serious punch. That is also vital for the longevity of the record as some full lengths in the genre fail to stand-up to their billing, running out of ideas and becoming formulaic but here Bodysnatcher have plenty of magic tricks and fresh ideas to keep things going. We’ve heard tales of a broken home before but “Smashed Perception” takes the ferocity to a new level while packing in groove like gunpowder before “Flatline” brings the bass drop and some vicious slam inspired vocal moments while oddly still having a sense of melody underneath the blunt force truama of it all. The gang chanted finale being something we’d love to hear more of, a nod to their Hardcore influences while “Glass Prison” steps things up a notch heavier, going straight for the juggular with bone shattering intensity and refusing to let go.

Swirling darkness and downtuned riff insanity bring the second half of the album to life with “Value Through Suffering” and finds Medina reaching some bowl clenching low growls as he roars through the more personal lyric that speaks of hard times and lessons learned. The carried weight is clearly hard to bare. The band indulge in programming for the opening half of “Chaos” which cleverly gives the ears a sonic break from their usual bombardment before bringing down the hammer once more and “E.D.A” sees them push both extremes within their sound out. The Hardcore two step ability of the finale tempered by the harsh slam vocals of the mid section that pulverise from the very start, something which is equally true of the venous “Hallow Shell” as the clenched fit and pointed finger of Medina’s lyrical narrative show that his bark could well be the thinner end of the wedge compared with his bite if the red mist descends any further. Bodysnatcher have become more fluid and dynamic as they’ve grown with more structure and less reliance on breakdowns as they simply refuse to let their sound stagnate. Instead they have conjured something that sounds fresh and sharp while benefitting from the mixing and mastering talents of their own drummer meaning that no stone has been unturned in getting the best out of their sonic abrasions, neck snapping moments and nuances. Their darkest work to date? Actually it’s cigarette paper fine margins but with Medina going rabid and feral at times lyrically it’s certainly a close cut thing [8/10]

Track Listing