Released by: Ripple Music
Release Date: October 20th, 2023
Genre: Metal
Links: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/blood-lightning
Line Up:
Vocalist Jim Healey (We’re All Gonna Die)
Guitarist Doug Sherman (GOZU)
Bassist Bob Maloney (Worshipper)
Drummer J.R. Roach (Sam Black Church)
Tracklist:
1.The Dying Starts
2.Hitting the Wall
3.Bananaconda
4.Face Eater
5.Blankets
6.Disturbing the Priest
I have to respect Blood Lightning. They are four guys from the Boston, Mass area who got together for shits n giggles on Halloween 2019 and played Black Sabbath’s ‘Born Again’ in its entirety. That is a brave move! Featuring members of Gozu, We’re All Gonna Die, Worshipper and Sam Black Church their credentials are already stamped and their credo for making this record was the songs had to be badass, straightforward, hard-hitting metal. Well, let’s see.
The chug starts immediately on ‘The Dying Starts’ and rolls along with a fine masculine vocal line from singer Jim Healey, guitarist Doug Sherman has the gift of the riff and fluid fingers too. This is like discovering a lost gem. It’s big, bad and heavy. ‘Hitting The Wall’ has Bob Maloney’s bass right up-front duking it out with Sherman’s huge, distorted guitar whilst drummer J.R Roach swings just like Bill Ward and Healey has a dual vocal thing going on that sounds fantastic. I defy you to not bang your head to this. ‘Bananaconda’ (what?) is a huge stomper with a fine Sabbath guitar lick and led by a massive bass line then we get the galloping metal of ‘Face Eater’. ‘Blankets’ sounds dark and nasty with a spidery riff. And just to prove they know what they’re doing we get one of the better tracks off ‘Born Again’ – ‘Disturbing The Priest’ where Healey gives us proper Gillan-esque screams before the band take the song to another level. This is huge and full of energy.
For me those excellent, wonderful people at Ripple Music have got it right, AGAIN! This is one of the finest releases on their label and I hope it’s destined for bigger things. Blood Lightning are badass, straightforward, hard-hitting metal! It’s official!
Written by: Smudge
Ratings: 9/10
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