Perhaps part of the reason I have taken to the band's more recent work is that there is more light and shade. Metalcore for me is about the mix of clean and harsh vocals, alongside big guitar leads, and I do not remember much of either when I first saw the band. They are certainly not as dynamic as a band like Trivium, and their guitar prowess is certainly more in grooves than leads, but the vocal balance has shifted a bit more - and this album feels more diverse than the last two. Opening with Violent Nature, feedback fills the speakers - before a distant, busy guitar riff slowly lumbers into view. A similar-sounding riff soon forms the basis of the song's thrashy verse, but before that the rest of the band crash in for a chaotic and fast-paced section that lacks the band's general groovy approach and instead channels some extreme metal vibes. The rest of the song is much more typical, though. The verses are based around a snappy and snaking riff, which returns to the intro's overall feel, whilst Kennedy growls over the top with plenty of power. Whilst not a tech metal band, there are occasional djent vibes incorporated into some of the band's riffs - but the guitar tones are generally warmer and the drumming is more organic. As such, there is little of that djent robotic feeling here - with the grooves closer to Lamb of God than Meshuggah in terms of tone. A chorus later uses some strings to create a more epic and cinematic backing - but Kennedy maintains his growling as this melodic backing envelopes him. There are more melodic pieces here, though, but Violent Nature is a strong exercise in groove and heaviness to kick things off. In Place of Your Halo feels much hookier from the off, and the track is one which is likely to become a live favourite going forward. The main riff feels like a heroic moment on the album, albeit with some djent flavours shining through thanks to Provan's bass being quite high in the mix, and this moves through into the verses which are mid-paced and full of headbanging rhythms. Bands like this often sound their best when operating within a mid-paced framework - and the snappy grooves here are truly infectious. This is carried through into the chorus which has some of Kennedy's more strident vocals on the album at any point - with a strong ending hook that is sure to draw everyone in live. Paying homage to their Scottish roots, there are some bagpipes utilised during the second half of the song - with the pipes adding depth to a few riff-led sections, before closing things out on a mournful note. The album's title track follows, and it picks up the pace compared to the previous song. It is an in-your-face track, then, but it feels hookier than the opening cut - with a pummelling hardcore edge during the verses, which sees Kennedy sounding a little different from the norm at times. The energy here is also pretty infectious - with the riffing straddling traditional heavy metal and hardcore at times, with Richardson utilising a mixture of drum grooves and bass drum patterns. It is also the first song to feature Jones' clean vocals - with the later chorus seeing his thin, but surprisingly powerful, voice filling a synthy void whilst he is backed by doomy riffing and guitar leads. Haunting wordless vocals from guest Hannah Boulton later fill a spacey break in the pace - before a proper breakdown kicks in, with her voice still floating atop the mechanical riffing.
God Complex opens with a lone guitar riff, with its strident nature giving a clue as the song's eventual mid-paced feel. This is another track with a strong focus on mid-paced grooves - and there is also quite a big emphasis placed on anthemic vocal hooks. The later chorus feels much snappier than some of the others here, with Kennedy belting out the lyrics in a rhythmic and memorable manner - whilst the aggression of the verses remind me somewhat of early Slipknot. In fact, at times, Kennedy reminds me a little of Corey Taylor during this song. That part-spoken, part-growled approach that Taylor sometimes utilises is present during parts of the song, and it helps the melodies to stick, particularly during the chorus, whilst Gowans later unleashes his first big guitar solo of the album - his shredded melodies adding some additional energy to the mid-paced anthem. A Hope in Hell is a much more dynamic piece overall, and it opens slowly - with synths and gentle clean guitars backing Jones' vocals. Whilst not exactly a ballad, the song is much slower throughout than is typical - and Jones has a much bigger vocal presence. The opening moments set the scene for parts of the song to come, with parts of the later verses also following a similar, more gentle, path - whilst the chorus is very old-school metalcore in tone with a bouncy guitar lead backing Jones' more anthemic clean vocal delivery. Kennedy adds weight in the background of the chorus, but it is Jones who is more upfront, and this helps to set the song apart from many of the others here. The verses are more back-and-forth, though, with heavier and gentle sections sitting side-by-side - whilst a later breakdown instrumental section throws a few groovy riffs together to reinforce the band's heaviness in what is otherwise a more restrained song. Dying Sun is also a bit different from the norm. There is a much slower, sludgier vibe to parts of the track - with some of the riffing feeling quite doomy. It opens with a slow, distorted build-up, with distant guitars and primal vocal chants cutting through some white noise - which dissipates when the song's main riff kicks in, which is chugging and slow-burning. This is not a song which looks to create a lot of energy, and instead it seems to want to conjure up darkness - with the main riff snarling along with an old-school death metal feel, whilst Kennedy unleashes some slow-paced growls atop it. Occasional riffs up the pace for a few seconds, but generally this is a piece which revels in its slower pace and creepy atmosphere - which is enhanced during the chorus with Jones adding his haunting voice to double Kennedy. The closing, lengthy instrumental section is just flat-out doom, too, and different from anything else here. Immortal Desire returns to something more typical of the band's core sound - with a hooky riff opening things up which is backed by some strange choral vocals which act like a synth. Vocally, then, the song is more diverse than is typical, despite the riffing and grooves being such, and the triple-threat of Kennedy, Jones, and Brann Dailor (Mastodon) team up for some interesting vocal interplay. Clean guitars also add depth alongside the heavy riffing, whilst Dailor's clean vocals during the chorus are weightier than Jones' would be - although the overall tone is similar. The aforementioned choir is utilised throughout, too, and their strange delivery adds an unsettling vibe to the whole song.
Chained to Hate ups the pace considerably, and the track is a thrashy number which brings the best out of Richardson. His fast double bass drumming early on really propels everything, but there are also moments which are more mid-paced and groovy. As such, then, the track is pretty varied. Some of the fastest riffing on the album is found here - and Kennedy really spits out the lyrics with venom here. The more mid-paced sections are typical of the band's core sound, but they perhaps sound a bit more potent thanks to them being sandwiched by heavier sections - and the grooves and thrash riffs sit nicely side-by-side. It is also one of the most exciting tracks here from a lead guitar perspective, with Wes Hauch (The Faceless; Glass Casket; Alluvial) adding a chaotic guitar solo early on, which builds on the aforementioned thrash riffing, whilst other guitar leads are utilised later on, too. Known by No Name is another fairly fast track, but it does not feel overly thrashy like the last track - instead there is more of a synth presence throughout to give the piece a strange industrial edge. The overall production of this song feels different to everything else here - with a strange layer of synths over everything which takes away from some of the clarity of the guitar and drum tones. I can see what the band are trying to do, and it shines through during a strange chorus with clean vocals, lots of choir, and strings, but elsewhere the mix just feels a bit messy. The song is not quite as epic as I think the band thinks it is - and sometimes less can be more when it comes to production. When synths have been used elsewhere on the album I gave generally liked their inclusion, but their use goes too far here. Hands of Sin features Josh Middleton (Sylosis; Passages; Architects) on vocals alongside Kennedy and Jones - with the track being another strong effort vocally, then, with three voices all doing different things. Kennedy handles the first verse, with Jones taking over for the chorus, and Middleton deploying his more barked harsh approach during the section verse. The chorus here, with its soaring clean vocals, is not that much different to the chorus of the previous song - but the lack of the messy synths helps it to shine. It is hooky, too, and a moment of melodic calm in between Kennedy and Middleton's duelling growls - and the song is another strong effort. The album then comes to a close with Edge of Infinity, a much slower track with ballad-esque tendencies - which opens with acoustic guitars and the occasional guitar lead, over which Jones soon starts to sing. Of all of the songs here, this is the one which features Jones the most. Kennedy adds his weight during some parts, but generally Jones sings here against acoustic guitars, strings, and a low-key rock backing - with big riffs only kicking occasionally. A cinematic guitar solo is also added by Rebea Massaad (Dorje; Toksa; The Totemist), which is more progressive and soaring than any other solo here, and it suits the song's overall smoother feel nicely - whilst staccato guitar leads are later utilised during some of the heavier sections. Occasional piano melodies add depth, too, and the slower piece ends the album in a pleasing manner. Overall, then, there is a lot to like here. Zenith is the first Bleed from Within album I have truly digested - and I have found a lot to enjoy. I like having my mind changed in a positive way and I am going to continue with my Bleed from Within journey - and I am pleased to have taken quite a few steps here.
The album was released on 4th April 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for In Place of Your Halo.
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