Two years ago, Latvian rockers Bloody Heels released their major label debut album Ignite The Sky. Your truly wasn’t aware of any other rock band hailing from Latvia so I thought it was rather interesting to hear what these young dudes had come up with. The band was described as a sleazy Hard Rock act with Melodic Rock tendencies where the 80’s was the template for their music. And sure, bands like Mötley Crüe, Kiss, Guns N Roses, Faster Pussycat and Crazy Lixx shined through. The album was an ok debut for sure but the problem was that the record wasn’t memorable enough and never really brought up an urge for wanting more.
For this one, the band’s third effort, the 80’s foundation is said to be consistent but with leap over to edgier and harder territories, mixing up the music with darker, gloomier and more metal-fused influences, something that seems to be quite a good idea as the style on the last album really wasn’t all that original and had them lumped together with every other band that dwelled in the same genre. Opener “Dream Killers” opens with a slow fade-in and continues with metal-fused sleaze vibe and a raw riff that combines modern Metal and 80’s Hard Rock. It holds a stompy crunch all over, filled with attitude and some memorable melodies. The pre-chorus is lighter but the chorus is direct and bouncy. Good tune.
The following title-track is a mid-paced slow-burner that holds an eerie feel with a dark edge and a heavy rhythm. It holds a firey riff with a metal-tinged structure but when the chorus comes it changes character and becomes a late 80’s, sleaze-smelling, upbeat sing-along pleading rocker with a slight nod towards Melodic Rock. Yeah, good one. Also a single “The Velvet” is a smoother rocker, very melodic yet with a crunchy edge to it and a bit of a goth-laden arrangement. It brings hooky melodies and atmospheric keyboards but also a dreamy and slightly jazzy section for good measure. The chorus brings on a sharp pop-hook that gives the track a bit of an AOR-ish vibe. A pretty good tune.
On a much glammier note, the pop flirting “Distant Memory” is the album’s latest single for a reason. With layered vocals and a slick keyboard sound the tune spontaneously feels like it’s written with air-play in mind. It’s smoother and more easy listened even though it shows some pretty edgy guitars and a live-friendly rhythm. It’s straight ahead with a direct main-melody and an in-your-face chorus that catches on from hello. Good song. The riff-happy and ballsy rocker “Hour Of Sinners” sports a darker atmosphere, a distinct heaviness and a nod towards the 90’s just when Melodic Rock turned a bit more alternative. A band like Saigon Kick comes to mind here. It’s a moody tune with a somewhat spacey vocal melody. The chorus is catchy but not hit-friendly. A really good tune.
Keeping the darker and heavier structure intact, “Mirror Mirror” comes on tough in a slower tempo with metal-grooves and a gloomy outlook. The riff might be 80’s laden and when the song speeds up it goes for the throat on a raunchy note but there’s none of the glammy sleaze of their debut here. It comes across as somewhat unstructured and even unfinished which makes it quite forgettable without any melodies or a chorus that really sticks. “When The Rain I Meet” also brings on a spacey and dreamy ambience and an alternative touch on a mid 90’s note. It’s dark with a rowdy edge where the low-key and stripped down passages at least gives the tune some dynamics. It’s slow and a borderline ballad with an ok melody. It’s an ok track but never really lifts.
“Crow’s Lullaby” blends metal-fueled glam-sleaze with 90’s alternative Hard Rock – riffy, aggressive, tuned-down and very edgy on a punchy and hard-hitting rhythm. It’s a slamming, greying and somewhat depressive rocker where the chorus is quite melodic which brings an unexpected contrast. Again, this is ok but the problem is that it lacks hooks and memorability. Good while listening but fades away fast. More straight forward and bang-on-target is kicking rocker “Burning Bridges”. It’s an uptempo and driving rocker, quite concise with a crowd-friendly outlook. It’s quite catchy too with a strong vocal-melody and cohesive riffing and a refrain with a distinct hook. Good one.
“Angels Crying” starts out with a bass-line similar to Ozzy’s “No More Tears”, going for a bouncy groove with an early 90’s soundscape. Then the song takes a rougher turn going for jagged riffs on a heavy foundation while taking on some catchy melodies. The style of the song blends 80’s Melodic Rock with 90’s alternative darkness. It’s a good tune with a hooky enough chorus. Closing track “Oblivion” is more quiet, low-key and down-beat with a dreamy atmosphere, a spacey arrangement and a levitating rhythm. It’s big on clean, soft guitars and keyboards before the band comes and makes the song heavier, bigger and more bombastic. The immense yet soothing backing vocals gives this ballad a grandiose outlook. A very good closer.
So is the change of style directly noticeable? Yes. Does it take Bloody Heels away from the rest of all thirteen-a-dozen Sleaze/Glam/Melodic Rock bands out there? Well, it does actually. At least to some extent. Is the change for the better then? Well, I think it is. That being said, I’m not that sure that quality of the songs are that much better than on the debut. While I can’t find any bad songs on here I really can’t find too many brilliant ones either. It’s mostly good but for some reason, despite given the album numerous spins, it just won’t stick with me at all. I enjoy it while listening to it but the lack of direct hooks makes the urge to do so disappear.
5/10
More Bloody Heels reviews:
Tracklist:
1. Dream Killers
2. Rotten Romance
3. The Velvet
4. Distant Memory
5. Hour Of Sinners
6. Mirror Mirror
7. When The Rain And I Meet
8. Crow’s Lullaby
9. Burning Bridges
10. Angels Crying
11. Oblivion
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