Album Review: Bronson - 'Blood Brothers'

It has been about three years since Bronson, a Melbourne based metal band, released their last work, a self titled EP. Now they are back with their much anticipated debut release 'Blood Brothers'.

Since their last release the band has been met with some line-up changes with only their vocalist Jason ‘Jay’ Clair and guitarist Gary Max Horn remaining in the current album. However, this in no way deters them from making passionate music. Their personnel now consists of guitarist Simon Bailey, bassist Paul Stanway and drummer Shane Turville who, if anything, have contributed to the band's steady improvement with this strong record.

Opener, 'Vivez sur vis pieds….' is a nice beginning with its building guitar riffs and progression into heavy guitar work, which sets the tone for the album. It's a simple introduction but an affective one none the less.

We are then thrown straight into the pit with 'Right to Fight'. You can really hear the influence of the hardcore scene in this song as its loud, angry and aggressive. The break-up of the song with its guitar riffs adds a nice touch, nothing too technical and complicated but they convey Bronson's goal of a real heavy and aggressive sound.

'The Dispossessed,' shows some diversity for Bronson with its guest vocals from Kimberly Rae and its slower approach, which is a nice moment of change from the group's standard recipe of hard and heavy. It brings some needed variation to the album, which can otherwise sound a little repetitive at times.

The middle of the 'Blood Brothers' is once again pretty standard with the rest, but by the final songs we reach 'Claim the Throne' and the title track 'Blood Brothers', which show some nice guitar work and they manage to end the record on a high note with their track '...Ou Mourez Sur Vos Genoux,' wrapping up the album with some heavy, chugging instrumentals.

'Blood Brothers,' is an album that is full of heavy, pure aggression and strong influences from both groove metal and hardcore to create something worth a listen. The full-length isn't anything very technical with its instrumentals, but it conveys Bronson's goals to create something very heavy and angry. As a band they have potential to rise up and be heard with just a little more technicality needed.

1. Vivez sur vos Pieds....

2. Right to Fight

3. The Dispossessed

4. Weapons of Mass Destruction

5. Assassins Greed

6. Crushed by Demons

7. Fallout

8. Revenge

9. Claim the Throne

10. Blood Brothers

11. ...Ou Mourez sur vos Genoux