BLOODLETTER hailing from Chicago, Illinois were formed in 2012. The Thrash Metal outfit released four EPs and three full-length albums so far. Their fourth album “Leave The Light Behind” was co-produced and mixed by vocalist Peter Carparelli and co-produced and mastered by Matt Engstrom. The album has a length of about 35 minutes, and it was released via US label Wise Blood Records, which has many Heavy, Thrash, and Black Metal bands among their current roster. No official video was released yet. The album has a strong start with “A World Unmade”. It is a delivery of traditional Thrash Metal guitar riffing at fast pace accompanied by strong basslines during the verse parts and dark and melancholic melodies at mid-tempo during the chorus parts. The vocals are harsh and vary between the medium and higher end of the vocal range. The melodies are catchy, and a contributing lead guitar solo is also part of the track. “On Blackened Wings” focusses on grim melodies delivered by the guitar riffing and the lead guitars. At the beginning of the track, there is a lot of double-bass drumming support. It is mainly a mid-tempo track but with some fast interceptions during the verse parts. The track is not the classical Thrash Metal song; it has in fact a few melodic Death Metal inspirations in terms of the guitar contributions.

“Eternal Winter” continues with that sound and includes a few blast-beats at the early stages of the track. The focal point of the track is the dark and melancholic melodic framework, which is driven by the lead guitars and the riffing. The track is a mixture of mid-tempo verse parts and faster chorus parts. The basslines are once again very prominent. “Terminal” starts with an extended instrumental part driven by the guitars and crushing basslines at mid-tempo. The vocal lines follow the melodies during the verse parts. The bridges and chorus parts have a strong focus on the melodies, which are once again dark and melancholic. The highlight of the track is the very contributing lead guitar solo. “Unearthing Darkness” has a very dynamic beginning with tight guitar riffing at a fast pace. The verse parts start right from the beginning with a lot of aggression and pace. It does not take long and the track circles back to the melancholic melodic concept of the previous tracks and it feels like a missed opportunity in terms of songwriting. “Hunting Horror” starts with another extended instrumental part with the lead guitars being the main contributor and there are a few neo-classical vibes added to it. The track is mainly a fast one with punishing guitar riffing accompanied by a lot of double-bass drumming. The overarching element is again the dark melodic delivery. “The Black Death” has a fast and aggressive start with tight Thrash Metal riffs during the verse parts. The bridge and the chorus introduce the grim and melancholic melodies as a mixture of fat and mid-tempo parts. The melodies are repetitive at times, My review may sound like a broken record, but the melodies are repetitive at times.

“Call Of The Deep One” starts with powerful guitar riffs and strong basslines at mid-tempo. There are subtle rhythm changes during the transitions, which introduces a bit of complexity to the track. The melodies remain to be dark and as the track goes on, the tempo slows down a bit. The break is two-parted starting with the lead guitar solo at a measured tempo, then transitioning to fast pace for a second solo. “The Burial” raises tempo and dynamics. Starting with a punishing instrumental part, the track transitions into the fast verse part with tight but playful guitar riffing and crunching basslines. As so often on the album, the nature of the track changes as it goes on and the focus is on delivering dark and melancholic melodies. Here I like the double-bass drumming as it gives the track an additional layer. The album finishes with “Night Terrors” and it starts with an atmospheric piano pre-lude, transitioning into a mid-tempo verse part. The guitar riffing is tight most of the time and delivers the grim melodies. There are a few parts with more direct and aggressive riffing, but overall, the track fits in perfectly in the album sound. The extended lead guitar solo is the highlight of the track.

BLOODLETTER offer a mixture of Thrash Metal and melodic Death Metal with a few melodic Black Metal twists on their fourth album. The band of often labelled as Thrash Metal band, but “Leave The Light Behind” is much more diverse and I am sure, classical Thrash Metal fans would probably not call it a Thrash Metal album. The melodic Death Metal part is at the core of the album, and the overwhelming focus is a delivery of dark and melancholic melodies with some atmospheric twists. The downside of the album is that this concept is vulnerable for repetitions, and the melodies and song structures are repetitive at times. That does not take anything away from the excellent guitar work on the album. The album is well produced. “Leave The Light Behind” has its moments and predominantly melodic Death Metal fans will surely like what they hear.