Review by Jeger on July 9, 2024.

Fucking Finland, man… Need I say more? From Bodom to Wolfheart and Sargeist; one of the world of extreme metal’s most renowned and celebrated scenes. It boils down to melody and sheer compositional prowess. It’s pretty fucking dark over there and not much to do in many places outside of drink yourself to death, but for some artists, that’s all the inspiration they’ve ever needed apparently as evidenced by the length of time that’s obviously been put into honing their craft. Most notable for their highly-respected black metal scene, but venture a bit past where the occult and misanthropy intertwine if you will back into Bodom territory. Remember the fucking epic of it? The mind-numbing passages and all that shred, all that power… 

We’re here today to get back to why you started listening to metal in the first place, and that is the heavy, the loud and the triumphant! From out of Suomi Bloodcross have arrived, and with them they’ve brought guns to a knife fight in their striking Personal Records debut LP, Gravebound, released on July 5, 2024. 

You know how bands like Immortal and classic Queensrÿche just feel good? Shit that your soul needs: souped-up riffs, juicy melodic sequences, power leads and skyscraper high rhythms. Gazing up now at its sheerness and trying not to fall backward as you take in 'Warbeasts' with its Warbringer level intricacies in riffing and 'Nemesis Reborn' as it unfolds to Dissection-heralding tremolos and similar martial rhythmic patterns. A real treat here and an homage to the greatest of all time? Quite possibly. Blackened to perfection is this one and a testament to Bloodcross’ capacity for seamless genre crossover. But damn dude, did I mention the power! Like the thunder of three or four power metal bands all playing the same track. 'Through The Fire And Flames' (DragonForce) ring a bell? Same earth rumbling torque but offset by the unbridled beauty of it all. 

Above all else, Gravebound is a heavy metal album, but not your cheesy Manowar bullshit, no Dio worship either and Iron who? Think contemporary like stuff the geezers can’t even fathom. Blackened obsidian Damascus as opposed to the olde British steele. Bruce Dickinson would complain that it’s too loud. Only a cutting edge guy like Malmsteen would approve, and there’s much of his influence to be found here coincidentally, particularly within the scorched earth minutes that make up 'Devil Speed' - an old-school-inspired anthem - fists in the air for this one, kids. 

Taken by surprise to say the least! Where the fuck did these dudes come from? From the black metal scene of course. Only musicians of that caliber are capable of capturing the essence that’s been captured here and that is transcendence through sound. This is real groundbreaking stuff and unlike Bodom, you can literally take all of it seriously… Just the way modern heavy metal should sound but with staunch black metal flavor and a bit of power metal epicality to modify the experience into something supernatural. You’re gonna really dig this one, unless you have something against perfection… 

Rating: 10 out of 10