Bloodline - Hate Procession (2009)

Boasting members of Shining, Naglfar and Midvinter among other great bands we have the Swedish Black Metal monster called Bloodline. The band plays Raw Black Metal with some Industrial elements, reminding me of the legendary Mysticum at some points.

With their impressive line-up the band does not fail short on delivering a very distressful aural assault that is not for the weak. Rooting them selves in raw Black Metal, and adding marvelous ambient elements, we get a perfect back drop that will make you have nightmares and feel what real Black Metal was all about.

Analyzing the music we thing that Wrathyr vocals are top notch and fit the overall think atmosphere of this release, his devilish shrieks give you the chills when paired with the atmosphere created by the guitars. Guitar wise there are not plenty of different riffs in this album, but they all work very well in creating the overall atmosphere that Black Metal of this caliber needs. Bass guitar is here and there and sometimes shines, but nothing to exciting, just like in most BM releases is just a filler sound.

The drumming clearly sounds programmed and it gives that industrial feeling, even when this is not the intention. I would consider this a minor drawback, but other than this, everything in this release is top notch. Having an actually good production behind their raw style gives extra points for the band in our book.

Every single track except for track 4, are very well written and make this album flow perfectly. The band members as previously mentioned clearly know how to make music and they showcase it in this fine release.

Overall “Hate Procession” is the perfect mixture of what one would call and old-school raw Black Metal sound with modern elements such like programmed industrial sounding drums and samples that help create a truly haunting atmosphere. If you like old-school BM then you will love this band. If you are into experimental Black Metal, Bloodline has something for you as well.

Release: July 17th, 2009

Country: Sweden