The Bled

Previous releases from the Bled have been tight, heavy and very popular with a large section of the metalcore crowd, but also with a strong melodic twist which has helped them shape their own personal place amongst their contemporaries.

However, Silent Treatment sees a mixture of continuity and change from the incredibly popular Found in the Flood. It again has an element of a concept, based unsurprisngly around the theme of silence, which influences the lyrics throughout. The lyrics themselves are again consistent with the Bled's earlier work -- often excellent and nearly always at least strong, delivered once again with the brilliant ferociousness of lead singer James Munoz.

However, SIlent Treatment is, in a number of other ways, a different realease, something which is to be celebrated rather than criticised. The badge of 'melodic metalcore' can not so easily be affixed to this release, with a number of very straight-up, hard, crunching riff-led tracks without the melodic repreieve often found on previous releases. Opening track, "Shadetree Mechanics" is the perfect epitomization of this, with relentless pacing and aggression and a fantastic introduction to the album. "Three's Away" treats the listener to a beautiful piece of melodic fierceness, which shows the band at their unquestionably best. epitomisation However, while flashpoints of this album are superb, the album as a whole falls somewhat short of the overall strength of their two previous releases. "The Silver Lining" and "Beheaded My Way" are tracks that, frankly, should have been binned and offer nothing new or exciting from what is a very talented and innovative band and falls well short of their capabilities.

In conclusion, Silent Treatment reveals the best and worst of this band, but its highlights make it well worth a listen. Maybe I am being overly harsh due to high expections; the band remain tight, loud and energetic throughout and no track is in any sense terrible, but a few are somewhat flat and un-enthusing. However, the Bled certainly have the potential for a brilliant, genre-defining release, but unfortunately, this is not it.