Review: Blynd – Punishment Unfolds
Dec 10
Blynd – Punishment Unfolds
Forming in 2003 and hailing from an island nation not widely known in the metal community for its output of horn-raising music, Cyprus band Blynd has already put out some quite respectable releases in the form of 2 EPs and a debut full length album. Working both within and outside the boundaries of several genres, including modern thrash, death, and groove metal, the band has been working steadily towards a cohesive and solidified sound of their own. The recent release of their sophomore album, Punishment Unfolds, is quite easily the coalescence the quartet have been homing in on since their inception.
Opening the effort with the appropriately foreboding orchestral and choral intro, Divine Gathering, the band sets the stage for a hard hitting blend of metal that, even at its more subdued moments, hardly ever lets up on the barrage of pummeling aggression that defines the album. With Arrival of the Gods, the band displays the toolset of styles that will be utilized for the entirety of the album: a driving beat fueling a modern thrash sound, accented with skillfully coherent death vocals. By the time the chorus rolls around, we are treated with another component to the band’s soundscape that makes its appearance on several tracks in the way of an open, melodic chord progression that wholly channels the Gothenburg sound embraced by many a modern Swedish melo-death ensemble. The titular track continues the onslaught, picking up the tempo and features something else that makes a distinct impression on most of the album’s tracks, a blistering guitar solo that makes its home high up in the sonic range of the mix. The rest of the tracks on the album make use of the basic elements already mentioned, but each in their own way, The Chosen Few sports a more hard rock driven trash sound in the riffing, Sins to the Cross, probably more than any other song delves into the Swedish sound to good results, and Convicted in the Devil’s Land, a pulsing march-like heavy hitter, not only displays the most developed and varied song structure, but also the most cohesive amalgamation of hard rock, thrash, and death metal on the record.
While the band has certainly found their sound on Punishment Unfolds by combining the best parts of varying metal styles, I would be hesitant to say that they are using to its full potential yet. All the tracks on the album are solid compositions to be sure, but there is little in the way of anything that is truly stand-out. I have the feeling though, now that the group is fully in their element, the third album may just take the sound to that next level of metal mastery. Also of note however, is the quite respective production of the album. The tracking and mixing are top notch, with appropriately in-your-face drum tracks and a healthy low-end that definitely compliments the bands sound.
Punishment Unfolds has a little bit of everything for the average metal fan, thrash inspired riffing, death metal aggression, and hard rock vibes driven by a tendency towards groove and rhythm, all of which combine for a solid heavy metal release. It won’t leave you awestruck and raving, but it will give you sore neck and a sated appetite for the heavy. Keep an eye this band, because I have a feeling they’ll be pleasing metal crowds for some time to come.
7/10
