The Blood Brothers – Young Machetes

This album came as a surprise to me. On an urge, I downloaded this LP – and was overwhelmed. It had an immediate impact as the first track “Set Fire to the Face on Fire” came rolling in with enough venom for an entire album.

I had been listening to a band named Fall of Troy which have a few Blood Brother tendencies and thus – being stirred – gave Blood Brothers’ newest piece of work a listen. Previously, I had listened to Burn, Piano Island, Burn a fair amount and Crimes here and there. I had enjoyed both these albums – but with The Blood Brothers – it’s hard to listen continually…at least, within the same day or even week.

Yet, this album was different. Somehow the songs seemed to stick – and I was compelled to listen repeatedly. There was a certain amount of cohesion to the album – and not a lot of artistic wanderings. Don’t get me wrong – artistic drifting has its place – but it can ruin the flow of the album. For me, a record’s flow is as important as each individual song. Young Machetes hits you with an axe to the head and the killer blows never let up.

It is possible that my musical tastes have grown since Piano Island and Crimes but I’d like to think that this album is a more complete and mature effort for the group. Shortly after the release of the disc, this Seattle based band decided to disband. Amazingly enough, they had been around for 10 years – since 1997. It’s a little disappointing – as it seems too often bands produce their best work…only to retire after. Oh well…I will cherish this collection for as long as I can…

Some of the standout tracks for me are maybe a bit bizarre. Obviously, the first two are exceptional ("Set Fire" and "Skeletal Lighting"). “Vital Beach” is one the most visceral and devastating songs I’ve ever heard. Still, I found myself listening to “Spit Shine” just as much. It’s kind of a punchy, melodramatic tune – but it showcases Jordan Blilie’s vocals as raw and powerful as they can be. Another favourite is “Huge Gold AK-47”. I think the title says it all…





Blood Brothers official site
Blood Brothers on MySpace