Brandan Schieppati – lead vocals, occasional guitars

Brian Leppke – guitars

Jona Weinhofen – guitars

Ryan Wombacher – bass, backing vocals

Marta Peterson – keyboards

Derek Youngsma – drums, percussion

             The Orange County band, Bleeding Through, blends a variety of “types” of music and creates a wonderfully intense style of music. The mixture is one of classic death metal, symphonic black metal with some hardcore. Its been said that this new album is “heavier, darker, angrier, more pissed off, faster and more epic than anything in the band's already impressive catalog.” They stayed underground until 2002 then in 2003 they went with a larger record company to help get their music out to more fans. That year they released This is Love, This is Murderous with a follow-up in 2006 titled The Truth which went to #1 on the U.S. Indie charts. Now they hit the stores one more time with their newest installment Declaration. “Finnis Fatalis Spei” begins the album off just right with the symphonic style track that lasts about 2 minutes. Right at the end they yell “Tonight We Die In Hell” which they quickly turn right into death metal stuff with the title track “Declaration.” They start it off with a crazy fast drum set and a nasty sounding growl. They make it very easy to get into the track with great vocals and good tunes. The great vocals are capped off by a nice mixture of normal style and a screaming. The drums lead the good tunes with a heart pounding performance while the guitars come up some great moments. “Orange County Blonde and Blue” spins off third as they don’t waste anytime get there from their “Declaration” to “Orange County.” It flies by quick with a blast of tunes and roaring, snarling vocals. it’s really hard to hear most of the vocals except the chorus and a select few other words. The drums really take the stage from the rest of the band in this one. “Germany” is much of the same style of vocals and the music doesn’t change very much either as “There was a Flood” gets back into the great stuff. They add in some great affects, lay off a lot of the heavy snarling vocals, and get back into the symphonic style. you can really get into the track with a great balance of music as they bring the spotlight of the keys back to the front. They bring a lot of elements into this track and it could easily stand on its own. “French Inquisition” heads back to the heavier stuff with more aggression and language hitting the fan. They implement some gang vocals as well as us some of the time to have a great set of solos. There playing is just unbelievable because of how fast that they play. That is the most remarkable part of the band, their ability to play such complex parts so fast. “Reborn From Isolation” puts more effects into play as it begins and sprinkled throughout the track. the beginning of the track is phenomenal then they bust out into a total musical assault. “Death Anxiety” intrigued me just by the name of the song and it didn’t disappoint. Their attitudes come flying out in the track with the hard snarling vocals, heart pounding drums, and great guitar play. They also break out of the normal and start actually singing during the track which takes it to the next level. “The Loving Memory of England” is a simple minute and a half track that offers up some cool guitar picking and then explodes into “Beneath the Grey” another assault on your eardrums. If you listen closely to the lyrics it has lines that could refer to the pervious track or it might not, you can be the judge. “Seller’s Market” heads down that same path with the same vocals and the same music. “Sister Charlatan” ends the album with the longest offering on the album. it ends the album on a great note. The complexity of the track is enormous with the symphony coming back into play. The solos are just absolutely amazing and will leave you speechless. In a nutshell this track as a part of each and every one of the pervious 11 tracks and smash them together and got a perfect way to end an album. The “thunderstorm” they added in around minute 5 is a great touch, but what makes it even better is the piano that they slowly bring and for a huge dramatic factor. Overall there are a few tracks that I’d skip because they sound pretty much the same. The tracks that they have the symphony included are brilliant and a must hear especially the last track. it’s a must listen if you like this type of music. I don’t and I think I will end up picking it up for a few of the tracks. Out of the 12 there are a solid 7 or 8 on the album. 

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

My favorite tracks:

Declaration, There was a Flood, Death Anxiety, Sister Charlatan

Track List:

1. Finnis Fatalis Spei
2. Declaration
3. Orange County Blonde and Blue
4. Germany
5. There was a Flood
6. French Inquisition
7. Reborn From Isolation
8. Death Anxiety
9. The Loving Memory of England
10. Beneath the Grey
11. Seller’s Market
12. Sister Charlatan

Website (s): www.bleedingthrough.com