Only a few months after the release of Scenes From A Lifeless Time, their first sign of life, GRIMBLADE come along with demo No. 2 called Crimson Angel. Whereas the word “demo” shouldn’t raise the wrong associations. In the case of the highly talented GRIMBLADE the term demo just means that they don’t have found a label till now.
On Crimson Angel, GRIMBLADE have maintained their cornerstones of mixing traditional Heavy Metal with those of a harsher, more extreme kind. However they have replaced the more blackish parts of the first EP with those of a distinct melodic Death Metal sound. This change can’t only be heard in the instrumentation, with its obvious Maiden, Dark Tranquility and Amon Amarth quotes, but also it can be heard in the way the vocals have changed. While on GRIMBLADE’s first EP Jorge’s vocals had been influenced by Black Metal, he know has adopted a deeper and rawer, slightly more Death Metal-like, voice, fitting very good to the overall sound and adding quite a good dose of power. He also worked on his formerly too pathetic clean vocals which were freed of any forced pathos and which are now really enhancing the more melancholic parts. Well done!
Again also on Crimson Angel the enormous joy of playing is clearly audible and the music directly sparks. Apart from Rise Of A New Heaven, a bombastic keyboard intro enhanced by marching drums, GRIMBLADE set up a rather fast pace but also leaving room in each song for some slower parts, which due to their skillful placed position just break up the song in the right way before returning to the former speed. However there’s a certain issue which was overdone in some places – the synth parts. These are often used in the mentioned slower parts and are mixed quite strongly into the foreground. But this is really ok and in my ears quite a good way of setting accents. The actual problem with the synths is the fact that some of the melodies are a bit too harmless and pop-like sweet as such taking away too much of the build up aggressive and/or melancholic atmosphere. On the contrary there also are exceedingly well placed and played synths which add a very fitting and supporting element. Furthermore all the songs, but especially the hit-like The Neverending Extermination and the anthem-like Bleed The Evolution, are way too strong and classy to really suffer from this minor point of critic.
Obviously – the future belongs to GRIMBLADE and any label should get their hands on these guys before they are too late.