BLOODSTAIN hailing from Stockholm, Sweden were formed in 2023. The Thrash Metal band release their debut EP “I Am Death”. It was produced by Simon Johansson (LIV SIN; MEMORY GARDEN; VITTRA), and mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström (BLOOD RED THRONE; BODYFARM; HEXED). The EP has a length of approximately 22 minutes, and it is an independent release. The EP starts with the title track, and after a guitar-driven intro at a measured tempo, the Thrash Metal attack begins with tight guitar riffing and crunching basslines at mid-tempo. The opening track is melodic with the vocals following the melodies. In particular, the bridge and the chorus have catchy melodies, and the chorus line is almost anthemic. The vocals are harsh and vary around the medium end of the vocal range. “I Am Death” has been released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Still Alive” keeps going with the Thrash Metal sound at fast tempo. The riffing remains tight, and the melodic framework is inspired by classical Heavy Metal. The highlight of the track is the extended lead guitar solo with the twin guitars, which has a few neo-classical vibes in it.  “Betray And Behold” is a bit more direct, aggressive, and darker compared to the previous tracks. The tempo is a mixture of fast parts and mid-tempo parts. Notable are the crushing basslines that drive the track forward. While the main riff of the track is inspired by traditional Thrash Metal, the focus of the chorus parts are the melodies. Another fine lead guitar solo makes sure, that “Betray And Behold” is one of the EP highlights.

“Homicidal Lunacy” is a 2-minutes pre-lude with only the guitars, leading into the fast “Bloodstains”. The verse parts are direct with aggressive guitar riffing, while the bridge and the chorus parts are at mid-tempo. The break starts at a measured tempo with epic melodies, leading into a fast lead guitar solo that is very contributing and the highlight of the track. The EP finishes with “Black Swan” and it starts with an extended instrumental part driven by the strong basslines and the guitars. The track transitions into a fast verse part with classical Thrash Metal riffing, accompanied by crunching basslines. The chorus parts go back to measured tempo with background vocals providing support for the chorus parts. The break keeps going with the fast tempo and it includes another cool lead guitar solo. “Black Swan” is another EP highlight and a good way to end the EP.

BLOODSTAIN release a promising debut EP. “I Am Death” has many elements of traditional Thrash Metal like the guitar riffing, the pace, and partially the aggression. Many songs are based on a catchy melodic framework in particular during the choruses. Highlight of the EP is the lead guitar contribution with many excellent solos. The EP is well produced. “I Am Death” is a good start to the career of BLOODSTAIN and it will be interesting to see how the band develops during the next years.