Review: TAUNTED - Bleeding Black

self released, 2009
 

Our regular readers probably remember both the interview with a certain mysterious band as well as the review of the „Zero“ album. Thanks to their debut, Taunted took the American power/thrash by storm. It certainly did not escape our attention. The second offering by this curious ensemble from California came out in 2009. At that time, Pure Metal was on hiatus. However, as soon as the opportunity to revive our zine arose, I knew we had to catch up and come back to some of the releases from that period. Taunted’s „Bleeding Black” is one of them.

„Zero” set the bar for its successor pretty high. The fans had to wait three whole years. Let me make this clear now - the wait was definitely worth it. Taunted are a top-notch band that certainly stands out among its kind. Just take some time to listen to „Bleeding Black” and your doubts shall vanish. 

To properly illustrate this album’s contents, it’s necessary to name the band’s numerous influences. So, the blend comprises: the aggression of early Metal Church, the heaviness and tempos of 1989-90 Overkill (see: „Dead Buried”, „Darkened Eyes”, „Old Man Gloom”) and the general mood and atmosphere of Mercyful Fate. „Bleeding Black” comes across as fully mature, polished material. All songs on the album make it coherent as a whole. Granted, it’s not a bona fide concept album, but the title, the cover, the lyrics and the instrumental parts correspond with one another brilliantly. Those factors make „Bleeding Black” a dark, dark piece of metal. A great part of Jacques Serano’s lyrics touches upon the dark side of human nature.

Taunted’s number two certainly doesn’t win one’s love instantly. It requires focused attention and in-depth listening. I’ll hazard a statement that as a whole it’s a less go-ahead album than „Zero”. After given some time, though, it will reward the listener with many juicy details and nuances, pulling them in. Personally I much prefer books that one needs to devote more attention to, discovering their content slowly, enjoying every bit of it. 

This album has two heroes. First of them, obviously, is the author of all the music, guitarist Joey Genoni, responsible for strong, thick riffs, which constitute the material’s awesomeness, and great solos. The other one’s the vocalist. Jacques Sarano possesses a strong, low voice; on „Bleeding Black”, his parts sound rather aggressive, just like David Wayne on Metal Church’s first two albums. At times, he even sounds kinda like Blitz from Overkill. Such a mixture of influences is clearly noticeable already in the opening track.
The album itself begins with a strong, double strike. The quick-paced, steady „One Demon at a Time” instantly grabs the listener’s attention, especially with the awesome, catchy chorus, balanced with a neat riff and an excellent solo. Pretty much a solid power/thrash song, albeit a tad calmer. The track that follows, „Dead Buried”, brings about more power and classic, razor sharp guitars. I think it could well have landed on Overkill’s „Horrorscope”, so much energy it has. The thundering intro, the hypnotizing riff from Joey Genoni, Henry Moreno’s (ex-Imagika) furious drumming, a very decent solo and the excellently blending-in, aggressive vocals leave the listener hungry for more.

The Overkill-ish atmosphere is yet further maintained by the next track, „Darkened Eyes”, which speeds up from the middle (just like good old heavy Judas Priest) and simply kills. It contains yet another excellent solo, which then flows into a beautiful guitar motif. Bon appetit! „Blood Washed Skin” rips to pieces from the first moments with its cathchy chorus. But even more impressive is the slower, dark, moody „The Floating Ghost”. Joey Genoni rules this one too, the only one in his own league. I’m starting to worry about Taunted’s future - this guy is bound to be on the radar of other, better known groups. His head is full of awesome ideas. The tasty riff and the dirty, ominous solo adorn the song beautifully, building up the dark, trippy atmosphere. The in-your-face „Victim” keeps the form of its predecessor and is a prelude to the next of the album’s staples. The racing „Lucifer” is Joey’s domain again, his awesome riffs and the rattling, furious solos are just plain breathtaking. Power, heaviness... simply classic, words are not enough to convey the emotions that accompany me while listening to this song. „Bloodline” intrigues the listener with its guitar intro. And then, a mind-raping riff ensues. The mid-tempo composition impresses with its diverse, changing parts and varied vocals. For the end, I saved the bona fide ballad (not of the bed-friendly sort, mind you), „The Candle Burns Black”, where Jacques really showcases his singing skills, making it clear that he’s not just your average metal screamer (awesome layered vocals!). Obviously stronger parts are present alongside the calm ones, but on average this track is rather gentle. 

I also wanted to point out the album’s weaker spots, as it still lacks some things to be considered „perfect”. This is my own subjective opinion of course. Most prominently, the a-tad-too-soft guitar sound - not enough aggression and sharpness. „Bleeding Black” is a great example of a release that gets better and better with each listen. What may sound like an obstacle at first is the seemingly monotonous, steady tempo of nearly every song, none of which is too fast or too slow. The little tempo diversity may be a bit tiresome, but it’s worth it - the album contains many brilliant parts (the thick riffs and uncanny, excellent solos) and themes. The abundance of ideas is overwhelming; the arrangements, the perfect execution, great guitar parts, the strong, expressive vocal delivery, the original, well-thought out drumming. And, as I said before, the dark atmosphere. This album is impossible to be indifferent to.

8,5  Tomek/Nevermore