Body Count – Bloodlust
27th March 2017When I was asked to review Body Count‘s Bloodlust, I thought “Get in!” I also though “Oh no!”
Why the mixed feelings?
Well, I thought “Get in!” because I have fond memories of Body Count‘s self-titled debut that came out in the early 90s and was played relentlessly by myself and my friends at the time.
But I though “Oh no!” because while 1992’s Body Count was frankly excellent it remains the only amazing album the band had ever released.
So now, 25 years later and on album number six, would Body Count succeed where their last four records had fallen short?
From the very start of Bloodlust you know something great is happening. A bone-crunching riff with a narrative by Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and then we hear how angry Ice T is – he hasn’t mellowed in his older age – and Civil War proves itself to be one of the heaviest tracks in Body Count’s arsenal. The opening track sets the tone for the rest of the album.
There really isn’t a weak track among the 11 on offer. It’s all a perfect balance between hip hop and metal. All those years ago when Run DMC and Aerosmith got together and even Public Enemy and Anthrax, nobody could have predicted that something as good as this could happen as a result of genre mixing.
The heaviness continues as does the great guestlist. Who’s that shouting on the heavy as fuck All Love Is Lost? Why, it’s the legendary Max Cavalera.
A cover of Slayer next with Raining Blood and Postmortem being cobbled together and the result is pretty decent – not a patch on the originals mind, but then who could possibly pull that off?
God, Please Believe Me is pretty much Ice T ranting for 90 seconds over a guitar solo, but it works well as a slight breather between the more mosh-worthy offerings.
Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe turns up on Walk With Me… which is the absolute heaviest song Body Count have ever created, a real death metal-type number. Metal in 2017 is still very much alive by the sounds of this.
And if you thought Ice T was angry then you ain’t seen nothing yet. No Lives Matter is the most political and angst-filled you’ll ever find him.
The title track and Black Hoodie close things down and they don’t disappoint.
So let’s break it down, Bloodlust is a magnificent album. To compare this with the first Body Count album or any other doesn’t do the band justice because they’re a very different beast nowadays. What I will say is this: it might only be March, but we could be witnessing a contender for album of the year here.
Reader album rating: [ratings]
Score: 9/10
BLOODLUST ALBUM INFO
Track listing:
01. Civil War
02. The Ski Mask Way
03. This Is Why We Ride
04. All Love Is Lost
05. Raining Blood / Postmortem
06. God, Please Believe Me
07. Walk With Me…
08. Here I Go Again
09. No Lives Matter
10. Bloodlust
11. Black Hoodie
Release date:
31st March 2017
Record label:
Century Media
