Album Review: Death Blooms - 'Life Is Pain'
No one ever said life was easy; and Death Blooms are setting the record straight on the matter. Welcome to Life Is Pain.
Following a string of single and EP releases, Life Is Pain is the band’s debut full-length coming five years into their career and features an interesting list of tracks. ‘Shut Up’ is one of the most recent singles, and also one of the most hyped tracks to be released from the band. Released as a standalone single, and again with special guests Wargasm, it’s one of the loudest and most passionate tracks to appear. It can be dismissed as a cliche in heavy rock and metal to use phrases such as “shut the fuck up” as a catchy hook; but that doesn’t mean it can’t work nor that it doesn’t work. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s a song that people can scream to when they need an output for the moment.
‘Anger’ is a masterpiece of a track, appearing midway through the album to break up the listing as it’s one of the few songs that contains a melodic chorus. But even this aside, it’s got what can be considered one of the best bridge/breakdown combinations partway - a breakdown that just from one listen can conjure up images of no-holds-barred moshing and no-cares-given headbanging.
A definite track made to be played live, the reception is expected to be positive for this type of music on the record. ‘Anger’ isn’t the only track that brings the thought of “this is going to be a hit live”, but it’s for sure one of the most prominent and listening to it, you can already feel the sweat dripping and the bruises forming.
Life Is Pain captures all emotion in that good classic metal sound the world knows and loves (whether they say so or not). For a five-year build-up to this album, through all the amazing live shows and EP drops and collaborations, this album shows just how quickly they have risen - and just how far they could fall. However, that’s not a concern for them and it’s obvious.
Life may be pain, but at least Death Blooms understand.
Words by Jo Cosgrove