Bloody Heels' 'Ignite the Sky' - Album Review

Perhaps my many snide jabs at Frontiers Records over the years on this blog have found their way to someone with clout at the company. While, sadly, I am unlikely to be able to take any credit whatsoever for the Italian record label's slight shift in focus of late, I am nevertheless pleased that they seem to be undergoing something of a change. I have something of a love/hate relationship with Frontiers. On the one hand they have always promoted a lot of great melodic rock acts, both old and new, but on the other hand they have often put a lot of focus into their anonymous hamfisted studio projects which often prove to be nothing more than a vehicle for one or more of the label's in-house songwriters to offload some of the songs that they clearly do not want to use for their main bands. These projects have often really flooded the modern melodic rock and AOR markets, so much so that it has often been hard to see the wood for the trees. Frontiers are still putting these albums out, of course, but there does seem to have been something of a shift in focus at the company over the past year or so. There have been far less of these studio projects forced together recently, with the company instead choosing to focus on what they have been calling their 'new breed'. Frontiers have really upped their roster of new original bands in recent times, and it is great to see the label finally sinking a lot of time and effort into these bands - rather than yet another 'project' from Alessandro Del Vecchio or Erik Mårtensson. One such band to recently attract some love from Frontiers is Bloody Heels - a four piece heavy rock band from Latvia. Not many Latvian bands ever really make it outside of their home country, and I think that they are probably the first Latvian act that I have knowingly listened to. Visually, the band are very inspired by the 1980s. Pictures of the band have them sporting big hair, leather trousers, and cowboy boots; but their music is much more interesting than a pure rehash of the Sunset Strip scene of the 1980s. There are hints of glam metal in the band's sound, but Bloody Heels are much heavier than that. There are moments that almost border on metal in some of the band's songs, while others are packed with gritty stadium rock attitude, melodies, and swagger. Earlier this month the band released their second album Ignite the Sky, their first release for the label. The band's debut album Through Mystery was self-released in 2017, which I picked up not long after Frontiers announced the signing of Bloody Heels but it never really clicked with me. Ignite the Sky however is an album I have been enjoying a lot over the past couple of weeks as it is packed with diversity and interesting songs - as well as big, memorable melodies. It is the band's first release with bassist Gunner Everett, and it shows that Bloody Heels are a band with real potential.

The eleven track album opens with the hard-hitting title track; an anthemic piece that really sets the tone for what is to follow. While the band are fairly accessible from a musical perspective, there is still a lot of weight to be found. Guitarist Harry Rivers seems to be the band's real driving force, with his riffs at the centre of what makes Bloody Heels tick. A gentle clean guitar intro lulls the listener into a false sense of security however, but as soon as Rivers' chugging riff kicks in the band's core sound is established. Ignite the Sky is not the heaviest track here, but it certainly showcases the band's style nicely. Frontman Vicky White lays down a gritty, yet soulful, vocal performance throughout; with the rest of the band helping him out during the soaring hair metal-esque chorus. The album's title track is a great mix of old-school throwback vibes and modern hard rock tastes. Subtle synths add a warm halo to the track as a whole, while Rivers' shredded solo injects some additional excitement and flair. It flows nicely into the album's lead single Criminal Masterminds, which was the song that persuaded me to pick the disc up. As I mentioned earlier, the band's debut album did not really do all that much for me - but Criminal Masterminds grabbed me from the off and never let go. It is a heavy, mid-paced slab of pseudo-metal with Rivers' muscular riff driving everything while drummer Gus Hawk matches the intensity with a hard-hitting performance. Being a single, the song has a strong melodic focus - but it also perfectly showcases what the band are about. The chorus features harmony vocals straight out the 1980s, but other moments of the song actually recall modern melodic metal with tasty double bass drum fills and chugging guitar rhythms. It is a great mix of old and new, and it perfectly represents what Bloody Heels are all about while also really getting under the listener's skin. No Matter goes for a bit more of a modern sound overall, with shimming synths and guitars opening the song up while White goes for a much more laid back vocal approach. Some parts of the track go for something of an AOR approach, with subtle vocal harmonies and soaring melodies, while other moments have a strong alternative rock feeling. It is a bit of a strange song that definitely feels much less heavy than most of the others here. The mix of sounds works well however, and it shows a different side of Bloody Heels - and it allows the band to demonstrate some different influences. Sugar & Spice instantly returns to the band's default heavier mode however, with a huge Rivers riff kicking everything off - which comes to really dominate the song with its lumbering groove. There is something of Avenged Sevenfold's more accessible stadium rock side on show here, with White's vocals taking on a gravelly tone to fit in nicely with the big riffing - his tone similar to that of M. Shadows' at times. The much heavier approach taken here works well however, as it is mixed in with the catchy melodies that the band have already made their trademark for a song that hits hard but is also very memorable.

Farewell to Yesterday opens with a busy bassline from Everett, before another Avenged Sevenfold-esque riff kicks in. One thing that is instantly apparent when listening to this album, and readers should have also grasped this by now, is just how diverse and 'all over the place' this album is. Ignite the Sky is a huge melting pot of influences, and Farewell to Yesterday is a great example of that. Parts of the song are among the heaviest on the album, with Hawk's drumming bordering on extreme metal territory at times, while the chorus is pure stadium rock with 1980s harmonies and some acrobatic White vocals. In some ways, the album as a whole is quite schizophrenic. Bloody Heels have clearly gone for a 'throw everything at the wall and see what sticks' approach, and on the whole most things have certainly stuck. It makes the album a very interesting one to listen to, but it is also apparent that the band have not quite found their 'sound' yet. Black Swan displays this with yet more diversity, with an atmospheric, sparse verse bringing out a very different side of White vocally - while Rivers dispenses with his usual tough riffing to instead create strange textures with his guitars. The verses here do not really sound like anything else on the album, as they create something of a low-key ballad vibe, but the choruses are more typical of the band's sound with a tougher approach and some tight vocal harmonies. The strange atmospherics at times bring some of Alice in Chains' more low-key songs to mind, showcasing yet another influence and side to Bloody Heels' songwriting. After a couple of more experimental pieces, Stand Your Ground returns to the hard-hitting rock sound of the opening numbers. Rivers showcases some great John Sykes-esque guitar pyrotechnics throughout with some great shredded leads, while Hawk's drumming is heavy and bass drum-centric. It might not be the most melodic of the songs here, but it is packed full of attitude that makes it a fun listen. The chorus is full of gang vocals for that added punch of swagger, while White once again goes for a grittier overall vocal approach to fit in with the song's heavy riffing. Rivers however is the real star of the show here, with a diverse yet heavy approach throughout. The Sykes influence is clear throughout, especially during the solo, but the sledgehammer riffing is equally potent - with the rhythm section perfectly lock together with him to create the song's strut. Thin Line goes for a bit more of a melodic approach, with the heavy riffing paired back somewhat to allow for a summery AOR vibe at times - with mid-period Bon Jovi certainly something of a touchstone here. The verses are quite chilled, with White's smokey vocals sitting nicely against a low-key backdrop of bluesy guitar patterns and rumbling bass; while the choruses ooze 1980s stadium rock power with a simple arrangement and more subtle harmonies. It is probably the most obvious 'throwback' song on the album, but the band do the style well and it is clearly a tribute to some of their biggest influences from the 1980s.

Ignite the Sky has already packed in so many influences and vibes in its first two thirds, but the final three songs are full of yet more surprises. Silhouette is a bit of a ballad, with delicate cello melodies throughout from Erna Daugaviete, and it sounds so different from anything else on the album. Some of the other songs here have showcased a more low-key and atmospheric approach, but Silhouette really doubles down on this vibe and bases the whole song around it. There are no big riffs here at all really, instead the whole band lock their instruments together to help to create a strange, atmospheric sound - while White really goes for it vocally as he showcases the power that he can muster up when needed. A lengthy Rivers solo really builds on the emotional punch of the vocals too, proving that the old-fashioned vocalist/guitarist duo that hard rock has been built on over the years is just as vital now in 2020 as it was in 1970. Healing Waters, the album's penultimate track, is another diverse number - but it is also one of my real favourites here as it is packed full of fantastic melodies throughout. The chorus is probably my favourite on the album, and the riffing throughout is so razor sharp that the song really just powers out of the speakers. That Sykes influence is clear again in Rivers' playing here, with some of the riffs sounding like something of one of his Blue Murder albums, while White owns the strutting chorus with his husky vocal approach. What I really love about the song however is how it really changes in the middle, with an atmospheric breakdown kicking in with some soulful saxophone playing from Dagnus Rozins. It is so unexpected at first, but on repeated listens the sudden jazz explosion works really well - and only makes a final reprise of the chorus sound more powerful when it kicks in. Streets of Misery is the album's final statement and unsurprisingly it goes for a fast-paced hard rock approach to ensure that the album ends on a high-energy moment. Much of the experimentation that has been on display throughout the album is not present here, with the band instead going for the throat with a big riff, kinetic drum beats, and a strident vocal performance. It is certainly not the album's catchiest moment, but really whips up a lot of energy and helps the album to end on a high. Those who love some balls to the wall heavy rock will love the track, and it acts as a great simple closing statement to what has been quite a diverse ride. Overall, Ignite the Sky is a really strong second album from the Latvian band and, in my opinion at least, it is head and shoulders better than their debut. While there are no genuinely weak songs here, there is a bit of a lack of cohesion due to the band still trying to really nail down their core sound. Diversity is good, but at times the album does not quite hang together as the best examples of the format do. As a collection of strong songs however, the album is a triumph and I look forward to seeing where the band go from here.

The album was released on 10th July 2020 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Criminal Masterminds.