A side project from established metal bands in the US state of Florida, BLOODMESSIAH have unleashed carnage with their latest release, "Denounce Your God". Side projects are born for a variety of reasons. Usually to fulfill creative needs, a need not being met in other projects. Mike and Ronn are members of established Florida metal act CATALYSIS, with the former holding down vocal duties and the latter given responsibility for musical instruments. Just judging by the title and artwork, this one is definitely not going to be one for the faint of heart or those with strong religious views. You've been warned.

The album promises "classic heavy riffs, thunderous drums, ripping solos, and evil incarnate vocals". I can definitely see evidence of those evil vocals. Especially in "Denounce Your God". Mike continuously varies the attack from deep and guttural, to high pitched and tortured agony. The solo in this song truly is a work of art too! Dissonant, haunting, aesthetic, soaring elegantly above the chaos and fury held down by the rhythm section. That definitely got a few rewinds and replays! I would say this is closer to the melodic death metal end of this spectrum. Songs such as "Escape The Flesh" are just straight up brutal. I can definitely see shades of DEICIDE in this song, alongside some more modern core style breakdowns. "Spread The Holy Ashes" also varies the musical attack, from tasty rhythmic sections, ferocious blast beats, and more delightful guitar solos that the Hoffman brothers would be proud of. If you're looking for speed and intensity, look no further than "The Gates Will Burn" especially with those glorious blast beats giving the drum skins a good ol' workout. If you needed more evidence of the superhuman guitar skills on display in this album, check out "We Are The Watchers". Just take my word for it. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Production wise, honestly I can't fault it! They have that old school death metal feel down to a tee whilst bringing in modern elements and production techniques. Everything sounds bright and sharp, which allows you to truly appreciate and feel that intensity. The duo have clearly proven themselves as capable musicians here. I do wonder where they go next from here. Will this turn into a live band, or will it be confined to the studio as a passion project? As impressive as they are musically, I do wonder if BLOODMESSIAH need to experiment more with their sound and truly find their place in what is an overly stacked old school death metal market. Also, I'm not particularly religious, but I do also think the anti-Christianity message is a little cliché and over used now. It's lost it shock value now and isn't as edgy as it would have been in the early 90s. With that being said, this really is a solid old school death album which pays homage to the classics of the genre.