I'm very grateful to BLOODY BROTHERHOOD. I'm grateful to them because they've finally been the ones to show me what Death Metal can be, when done right. I've never been a fan of the genre, and even after reviewing a good number of them through Metal Temple, no band has ever convinced me that it is a particularly varied or creative area of Metal. I'm happy to report that this band has shown me the light, and made me realize that there is room for creativity and skill in Death Metal, as long as it's in the right hands.

The problem I've always had is that Death Metal albums very often sound the same all the way through, so that when you reach the end you feel more like you've listened to one long song rather than a collection of different ones. In this case, the band begin "Ritual of Blood" with an atmospheric piece of ambient sound, which isn't uncommon in other albums, but when the music actually kicks in it does so with a catchy riff, and quickly varies its tempo and style all the way through the track.

"The Awakening" continues the trend, opening with a wonderful riff and keeping us on our toes for the duration. Each consecutive song is different to the last, and displays a level of imagination that is a massive breath of fresh air from the genre. One thing that helps is the vocals, which are minimal, but also produced in such a way that they sit comfortably within the music; audible but not overpowering. The guitars are competent in sounding heavy when they need to, especially with the help of the drums, which are controlled admirably by Hammer-Blast.

Unfortunately the momentum of the album seems to slow somewhat towards the end, with the final few tracks becoming slightly more traditional and annoyingly fast. This isn't the be all and end all of the record though, as the majority of it manages to stay fresh and exciting. It's just a shame that the band eventually resorts to churning out pretty standard Death Metal, the likes of which we've heard a hundred times before.

Probably the best thing I can say in praise of this album is that if you're like me and Death Metal isn't one of your favourite types of music, have a listen to the first couple of tracks and you may have something to think about. The band manages to combine the genre with elements of Thrash to produce something that's really quite different and likable, and for that reason I salute them.