BUTCHER BABIES 'Nightbloom'

BUTCHER BABIES
Nightbloom
Judge & Jury Records

This coming Friday, hard rock act BUTCHER BABIES will release its latest album, 'Nightbloom' to the masses.  Set for release Oct. 2 via Judge & Jury Records, the 10-song record (the band’s fifth) is an intriguing presentation.  That is because between its musical and lyrical presentations it is sure to appeal to a wide yet targeted audience all at the same time.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation.  When it is considered alongside the noted overall content, the whole leaves 'Nightbloom' a presentation that is worth hearing at least once.

'Nightbloom', the forthcoming latest full-length studio recording from BUTCHER BABIES, is an intriguing new offering from the band.  The heart of its appeal is its musical content.  From beginning to end of the 35-minute record, the album’s musical arrangements are sure to keep listeners engaged and entertained.  Right from the outset, ‘Lost in Your Touch’ offers listeners a powerful aggro-rock sound that blends influence of EVANESCENCE with KITTIE for a composition whose softer and more aggressive moments collectively make for quite the presentation.  The heaviness continues solidly from there in ‘Sincerity,’ which one could argue presents something of an industrial sound alongside the more melodic hard rock approach.  As the album reaches its midpoint, ‘Are You Waiting Up’ the band switches things up noticeably with a song that blends power metal leanings with that noted aggro-rock style approach for yet another distinct work that is sure to interest listeners in its own right.

The album’s second half continues much in the same fashion as its first half, with more of that solid blend of melodic hard rock and harder edged content, the whole making for a musical presentation that again is sure to appeal widely among audiences.  While the overall musical body of 'Nightbloom' will appeal widely among listeners, its lyrical picture is going to limit its appeal to a very targeted audience.  That is because for the most part the songs featured throughout the album focus primarily on the way too familiar topic of romance and relationships.  Perhaps the one real break from that norm comes in the form of ‘Songbird.’  The album’s eighth entry, this song presents a theme of empowerment; Of overcoming a toxic person.  This as it clearly states at one point, “I hate how you think you can talk to me/As if you can walk all over me/But you can’t talk to me.”  This is a single line but speaks volumes.  It adds, “Songbird/I’m flying away/’Cause I don’t wanna play with you.”  This compliments that previous line well, exhibiting a person who has gained a certain personal emotional strength.

Speaking of emotional strength, that topic is “seconded” so to speak in the album’s finale, ‘Black Dove,’ which finds front woman Heidi Shepherd singing at one point, “Taught to kneel/But I learned to bite/Turned every scar/into sharp insight/I’ve danced on glass/I’ve kissed the blade/You pray for peace/I was never that safe/I’m a black dove/Say it with your chest/Call me wrong/Call me poison/Drunk on guilt/I’m a black dove.”  This is a person taking pride in who and what one has become.  It is a message that is certain to resonate with those noted audiences just as much as the far more prominent tales of personal romantic and emotional struggle throughout the album.  Keeping that in mind, again this overall lyrical picture will find the majority of its appeal among a very specific audience base.  That, together with 'Nightbloom'’s musical presentation is proof of why this record is such a unique presentation.

Putting the final touch to this record is its production.  As noted, the arrangements featured throughout this album does well in blending its more melodic hard rock leanings with heavier sounds and styles.  Those behind the boards are to be commended for bringing the best out of both sides in each song.  For that matter, said individual(s) is/are to be commended for balancing the vocal and instrumental performances in each song.  The two sides complement each other well throughout.  The result is a general effect that makes 'Nightbloom' worth hearing just as much as the album’s overall content.  Putting all of this in mind, the whole of 'Nightbloom' proves to be a record that, being so intriguing in that mix of content and production, proves worth hearing at least once.

3.5 Out Of 5.0

Nightbloom is scheduled for release Oct. 2 through Judge & Jury Records.  More information on the album is available along with all of BUTCHER BABIES’ latest news at:

Website: https://butcherbabies.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/butcherbabies