Bloodbath - The Fathomless Mastery review
| Band: | Bloodbath |
| Album: | The Fathomless Mastery |
| Style: | Death metal |
| Release date: | October 2008 |
01. At The Behest Of Their Death
02. Process Of Disillumination
03. Slaughtering The Will To Live
04. Mock The Cross
05. Treasonous
06. Iesous [feat. Christian Älvestam]
07. Drink From The Cup Of Heresy
08. Devouring The Feeble
09. Earthrot
10. Hades Rising
11. Wretched Human Mirror
12. Blasting The Virginborn [2011 reissue bonus]
13. Weak Aside [2011 reissue bonus]
14. Sick Salvation [2011 reissue bonus]
15. Mouth Of Empty Praise [2011 reissue bonus]
The mighty Bloodbath is back. I'm sure that you all already know their previous EP "Unblessing The Purity" but today of course we will not talk about it and only focus on the really awaited new album "The Fathomless Mastery". I like Bloodbath and I like its members so really one more time I was expecting something great and one more time I'm not disappointed. Fan of real Death, this release will be a must again!
I think that I'm probably repeating myself but what I like the most with Bloodbath is this really great ability to do old school but modern Death Metal. "The Fathomless Mastery" is one more time a real album of Death Metal, not something a la In Flames or whatever but even if it's old school Death it doesn't sound outdated. At the opposite all the songs are really modern catchy as hell and be sure that one more time the riff machine perfectly works. I could talk about each songs of the album but it will be useless so all in all I will just say that "The Fathomless Mastery" features excellent riffs and guitars soli. The drums of Martin Axenrot are pure blasts, this is impressive really, but all the other members of course do a great job especially the guitarists (and I won't forget Jonas Renkse who is of course one of the main song writers of the combo). The album is not especially varied but from the beginning to its end all the tracks are powerful and you'll not find any let-down or breaks, "The Fathomless Mastery" is a real Death Metal machine, a real hurricane!
Some of you probably wonder if there are a lot of difference between the performance of Mikael Åkerfeldt and the one of Peter Tägtgren. Well to be honest I don't really like this little war between some fans who want to prove to the others that their favourite singer is better than the other. Honestly I think that both are great, they have differences in their voice and way to sing Death but it's definitely not problematic and I really think that Åkerfeldt just does a great job here. He is a great Death Metal singer and I love his voice which is simply perfect for the genre. Add a great production and a cover which is not particularly beautiful but which fits perfectly to the tortured music of the band and you can be sure that you'll be happy with this new Bloodbath.
"The Fathomless Mastery" is one of the best Death Metal albums of the year 2008. Let's just hope now that they will still release new albums and that they will all finally decide to organize a real tour. The concerts that they have played at Wacken and Party San cannot be the "last" ones, so please guys find a way to tour together after Opeth's world tour and we will be entirely satisfied. "The Fathomless Mastery" is a new accomplished album and this is highly recommended for all the Death Metal fans.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by Jeff | 06.10.2008
Comments
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Comments: 31
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The other singer of Bloodbath was Peter Tägtgren and not Dan Swano 
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| Arcesse Eum Posts: 268  |
Yeh, I was just gonna say, Dan Swano played a bunch of stuff throughout bloodbath history, but he didnt do vocals (unfortunately, he'd do a wicked job).
---- As above, so below.
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| Sheol Posts: 75 |
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| Jeff Freaky Admin Elite Posts: 7078  |
Oops! Sorry of course I wanted to write Peter Tägtgren and not Dan Swano lol... Well sometime I'm a blondy : o) It's fixed
---- Come with us to Hellfest 2011!
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| Sunioj Posts: 3894  |
It's a pretty good album, though I would probably rate it as a 7 point something. To tell the truth, I can't say much to criticize about this album other than the fact that I don't find it memorable after a certain point. I still don't think I've fully established my feelings towards this album, maybe just a few more spins and we'll see...
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
This is one of the bigger disappointments of the year for me. The thing about Bloodbath I always loved was their raw sound mixed with memorable songwriting, but the songs here just sound like they don't even care any more.
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718  |
Written by Dangerboner on 06.10.2008 at 22:47 Yeah, I agree, with Ressurection Through Carnage it had such a sparse sound it made me think of cheesey b-grade zombie movies which was a really cool kind of feeling. As soon as they upped the production values to me it sounds like they're going out of their way to make generic death metal. I've got nothing against this album but at the same time none of those songs are going to get nearly as many plays as 'Buried By The Dead' for me. BTW-@Pyro: doesn't that album cover make you think of www.lemonparty.org?
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| totaliteraliter Posts: 656  |
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| MadTinus Posts: 13 |
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by MadTinus on 07.10.2008 at 13:42 Hahaha, I was about to post the exact same thing. Knowing Jeff he does know it is Renkse and it would just be a typo for Renske sounds way more natural than Renkse. Haven't heard the album yet, but planning to though cause the mini album was a killer effort.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Jeff Freaky Admin Elite Posts: 7078 |
Well it was typo day I think lol... (thx for the help guys!) About Party San I didn't know that... or I didn't remember it at least... Well I changed a bit the review. Anyway one or two gigs that's not enough 
---- Come with us to Hellfest 2011!
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| Daggon Underpaid M.D. Posts: 1689  |
This album maybe is not their best, but I can find that they improved a little since Resurrection Through Carnage. I agree Mikael and Peter are both great singers (I can't blame their work on Hipocrisy, Opeth or Pain), but I prefer Mikael for Bloodbath (well, after all, some people can't notice the diference between them, believe me!). It is a 7/10 in my own opinion. I hope Bloodbath will release a killer job in the future, something at the level of its members. I think the "old school sound" they wanted to achieve in their first album is kinda lost now.
---- "Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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| Visioneerie Urban Monster Posts: 810  |
I just listened to this album for the first time yesterday and i have to consider myself as one of those people who are disapointed with this release. However, there are sme passages or songs that i found quite good but this record as a whole fails to deliver what Nightmares Made Flesh did for me. Like Pyro i find some parts a little uninspired sometimes, not all the time though. I'll also mention that i'm not the biggest fan of old school death as i am for other dm, so that doesn't help neither. Anyways not a bad album... i'd give it a 7 - 7.5.
---- Any man can stand adversity, but to test his character give him power - A. Lincoln
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| arj Posts: 191 |
This album is pure bliss. How can you give it under 9??? Death metal doesn't get much better than this.  It is different their other stuff, sure. But try reviewing it as a death metal album, instead of reviewing it as RTC 2. Then  to me.
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| Sunioj Posts: 3894 |
Written by arj on 11.10.2008 at 02:50 Even as a stand alone album it's not that amazing. And yes, Death Metal does get better then this IMO.
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| RockeRoy Posts: 641  |
I love this album, i like the progressive elements on this album
---- You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours Walk with me in hell
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| METAL! Posts: 63  |
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| Infurnace Posts: 948  |
One of my favorite albums of 2008 til now. Glad that Mikael is back. His vocals are just brilliant. Some real catchy songs on the album, even though their raw sound is gone.
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Staff Posts: 3523  |
Hmm... I have to say, I'm rather indifferent to the whole album. Only the first 2 tracks and "Iesous" even have enough strength to make me care, and the rest is just, well, generic Bloodbath. I likely won't be listening to this album much, if ever, after 2008 passes. It's not the vocals that are uninteresting, it's everything else... Looks like they put their best songs on the 4 track EP released earlier this year.
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| Syk myspace/bonerama Posts: 1504  |
Agreed with dismal, although I can't see what's so good about Iesous either. Very ordinary death metal, 5/10 What's with the cover image here?
---- death ? thrash ? death/doom/prog ? Hail Zoldon! he's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays
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| XAV_METALOGIST Posts: 52  |
Brillant is the perfect word for this record ... Can say nothing bad about this album ... Its Truly Amazing i cant believe you give a note under 9 but that's a great review
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| -DC-002- Mastercommander Posts: 1703  |
Ugh, this album is so boring and mediocre to me. I know Bloodbath could have done better. Their other albums are so good
---- Coldgrits
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| Solstafir! Posts: 75 |
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
IMO its not as bad as some are saying... and not as good as the review makes it... Decent death metal, once again not a big deal. Good enough. btw... worst cover ever...
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437  |
Written by Uirapuru on 12.11.2009 at 18:24 RESURRECTION THROUGH CARNAGE and NIGHTMARES MADE FLESH is NOT decent death metal.
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955 |
Written by Deadmeat on 17.04.2010 at 18:45 Agree on Ressurection Through Carnage, that album is especial... but Nightmare Made Flesh (along with everything Bloodbath has release after the debut) is pretty common, althou good... which means = decent.
---- ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 |
Written by Uirapuru on 17.04.2010 at 18:59 imo NMF may not have the magnificent atmosphere and attitude of RTC but it is a great album as it has great songs, nice production. also tandgren replaces very well akerfeldt so imo those 2 albums are equal. but generally even if RTC is a bit better this doesnt mean that NMF is decent. it is at least very good.
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955 |
Written by Deadmeat on 17.04.2010 at 19:08 Well, probably my disappointment for the band choosing this straight-forward direction, instead of continue through the path of the wonderfully produced Ressurection Through Carnage did destroy much of my interest for this band. This album has indeed a good production and some great songs, but that is only enough for me to consider it decent. There is no way I'll worship an album this common in thematic and production... I like it, just not so much
---- ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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