Thrash / Death Metal act BLOODSPOT have just released their new album "By The Horns" produced by Markus Teske (U.DO. / VANDEN PLAS), and throughout their 7 years as a band they have played lots of shows on the European circuits, and this release reflects their bludgeoning approach to Heavy Metal.

Featuring heavy thrashing riffs that are helped by a tight production that prevents it becoming a muddy mess as can often happen in Death Metal; the band has a heavy sound that is modern without being, as they call it "Modern-core." Songs like the opening track "And They Brought Gold" and title track "By The Horns" showcase this effectively. What is quite cool about this band, and may set them apart from other Death Metal bands is that you can still understand the lyrics despite the harsh vocal style employed.

"The Legend Of Butch Miller" is another song that really defines what the band is about; it's full of thrashing riffs and power chords, whilst also providing the heaviness typical of the Death Metal genre, combing the two to form a tight sounding yet brutal band. "Burst Black" is one of the highlights of the album, with a really well thought out build up that employs some clean guitars getting slowly more distorted before the track turns into a full on thrashing assault with a tinge of Death Metal. A lot of different riffs keep this track feeling fresh too.

The band has a lot of heavy riffs, and for those who like a full on approach most of the time, this is definitely an album you will enjoy. However it is a lot of the same kind of thing, heavy riffs and old school Thrash solos. It's not necessarily a bad thing at all, and they probably have a great live show that this sort of music would back up really well, but it's not breaking any new ground either. Songs like "Death Down There Holds My Approach" and "Enter The Gray" solidify the band's style and approach well. The production is very good on this album, which isn't always the case for the genre. The drums provide a backbone to the tracks and keep things moving along nicely along with the bass. The guitars provide the meat of the tracks providing lots of heavy riffs and chunky tones, and the vocals, although confined to one kind of style, are well recorded and well performed.

Overall, this is a well performed and produced album. If you're a fan of the heavier stuff, this is definitely for you, but it also may appeal to those who like a bit of Thrash, with its tighter sound, and lyrics that you can actually understand.