Written in Blood

Written in Blood

From their EPK, "At the end of 2019 the idea for a new band was […]
January 3, 2023
Written in Blood - Written in Blood album cover

From their EPK, "At the end of 2019 the idea for a new band was brought up by Bert "Beef" Hoving. The bassist contacted some members from previous projects to join the band and as soon the band name WRITTEN IN BLOOD was adopted, pandemic struck the earth! A coincidence? With the world afraid of what was coming, several songs were born, most of them at unholy hours. The goal was to write recognizable songs with melody rather than having the focus on astronomic speeds." The album has nine songs.

"Slithering Snakes" is the first. Rain, ominous spoken words, and the sounds of rattlesnakes open the song, followed by a slow and heavy riff. From there, the riff is pretty elementary, although the dark tones that hang in the air help to thicken up the sound a bit. Seguing into the title track, the rain continues. The song begins with some promise in the weighted riff, but ultimately falls flat as it rolls on. "Wilde Jacht" begins with thunderstorms, and the sounds of a beast frightening the herd. Clashing swords can be heard in the background. The band sets up each song nicely but the music just doesn't stimulate the listener much.

"Thrown into the Bog" is another song with a nice set-up, but the overly simple riffs keep it uninspired once again. The band could thicken the sound with harmonic guitars or even clean vocals (though I know that is a sin in some camps). "Witte Wieven" is a slower and more melancholy offering, complete with lamenting female vocals. Some dual guitar harmonies were a smart addition to the song, and really define the genre in many ways. "Heathens we Are" is a slower and more aggressive grind with deep and dark harsh vocals, but again, the riffs are just too simple to make an impact. "Return of the Ancient Gods" closes the album. It's an instrumental with a heavy and slow grind.

Overall, this wasn't a bad album, but the band has to find ways to thicken up the sound. There are too many others in this genre trying to gain a foothold and this album just did not stand out. Clean vocals maybe? More harmonies? Either of these things would help here, though I know that some purists would call this blasphemy. Speed did indeed take a back seat but not to melodies. There just weren't enough of them and the ones that were there were not memorable.

5 / 10

Mediocre

Songwriting

4

Musicianship

6

Memorability

4

Production

7
"Written in Blood" Track-listing:

1. Slithering Snakes
2. Written in Blood
3. Germanic
4. Wilde Jacht
5. Ghouls of the Forest
6. Thrown into the Bog
7. Witte Wieven
8. Heathens we Are
9. Return of the Ancient Gods

Written in Blood Lineup:

Bert "Beef" Hoving - Bass & Vocals
Marcel Heutink - Rhythm Guitar
Jeffrey Zwart - Lead Guitar
Jos Eggens - Drums

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