The Five Hundred – Bleed Red

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The Five Hundred with “Bleed Red” is the metalcore/alternative metal band that may change all the bad reputation this kind of band has. I can’t say I have feelings for the subgenre, but sometimes there are bands that surprise me. Forget all the well-worn formula. The Five Hundred go further and beyond. They dare to mix lots of Metal influences from hard rock to extreme metal. Of course, there are metalcore resources as well. But mostly about vocals. Instrumentals try to get away from it. The Five Hundred are one of them. Allow me to enlighten you.

First of all and the most important to me: there are guitar solos unlike their peers and guitar riffs are creative not only using tuned-down chords. The guy actually uses guitar phrases. One may ask what is the big deal with it. well, metalchore bands don’t use those resources. Ever. Purely tuned-down chorded riffing. That’s why The Five Hundred are real amazing. Listen to tracks “Smoke & Mirrors” and “Buried” to get a glimpse of it. Guitar solos in “Buried” are exactly what you expect from a real metal band. “Reclusive’s” intro may even pass some thrash metal feeling until the vocals, but instrumentals are pretty hard and intense. Guitar solo is really good as well. Yeah, a thunder can strike twice.

The Five Hundred are a band of intense music. Vocals, by the way, are the ones which make the band more palatable to standard Metal fans. Even though, being most of the time pretty metalcore style, the guy can bounce from a range of Metal vocal styles. Exactly the kind of band which prove us it’s not really necessary to stick to a formula to be loyal to a style. Even the most metalcore track like “The Narcissist” goes beyond the rules with all its changes in pace and atmosphere featuring well-built vocal lines mixing melody and aggression. Finally, we have “I Am the Undead” which will please any extreme metal fan with all its sonic butchery.

Haven’t I told you that The Five Hundred would change tour mind about metalcore bands? It changed mine.

The Five Hundred “Bleed Red” will be released on August 17th via Long Branch Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Bleed Red
  2. Smoke & Mirrors
  3. Buried
  4. Oblivion
  5. The Noose
  6. Reclusive
  7. Seduced by Shadows
  8. The Narcissist
  9. I Am the Undead

Watch “Smoke & Mirrors” official video here: