Maximum Metal Rating Legend

downBleed Bleed For Me indy 2004 Reviewed by: Nailer

Track Listing1. Bleed For Me 2. Slave To Your Master 3. Lifebleed 4. The Awakening/Bred To Hate 5. The Fallen 6. Escape

downBleed is a new three-piece metal band from the hills of Tennessee that have really stepped up their game recently. Starting out around 1997 as a rock group called Cheap Disguise with blues and funk influences, the band evolved into songs that got heavier and heavier. After taking some time off for the family thing, they decided to change their name to downBleed around 2002. I had first heard them on a cheap CD-R with a rough production that made it somewhat difficult to get the full effect of the band.

"Our first demo was something that we used to give away to people at shows and such. We bought a 4 track, took it out of the box and recorded the songs. Not really knowing what we were doing (obviously). It was very raw and didn’t capture our music the way we had anticipated, but it was the only way at the time to get our music out." --Dawg (guitar)

downBleed is now armed with a new cd, "Bleed For Me" and thankfully they ponied up the bones to get studio ace Gene Hughes to help capture their sound.

"We heard some recordings that Gene Hughes had done for some local bands and thought, “Damn, this guy and this guy only, is doing our CD.” So we saved our cash and had him record it and we’re very pleased with the final product."--Dawg

downBleed's music is built on big, chunky grooves that are more about aggression than finesse. By tuning the top E-string down to a C (!) they mix a 90's Pantera groove with a Nu metal deepness in tone. Thankfully, the choruses aren't overly corny and they don't whine about bad childhoods. "Slave To Your Master" seems to be about a guy who preys on virgins or a pervert who molests little girls.

The biggest improvement in their sound is in the vocals which were once hard to discern. Now, you can clearly hear Drummer/Lead Vox Doug Fletcher as he snarls his way through the 6 tracks of heavy, speaker-rattling cinder block. Their mid-placed songs are a bit harder to categorize not being fast enough for thrash and not really being Death, so you could just say they go the traditional route of giving you a swift kick in the balls.

Best tracks for me were the anthemic "Bleed for Me" which is pit-inducing like Drowning Pool's, "Bodies" and the longer "Escape?!" with it's dusty-record moments that could be a tongue-in-cheek reference to the earlier demos. I'd like to hear some faster stuff, but still this CD makes me wanna punch somebody.

Check out this young band out at their website and get their new cd for only $6 at: http://downbleed.com/


--Nailer 05.28.04