J-Man
As the Indian metal scene continues to explode with top-notch acts like Demonic Resurrection, Guillotine, and Albatross, one has to wonder if this budding scene will remain in the underground for much longer. Mumbai's Blood Meridian is yet another promising young act from the Indian extreme metal scene, and Elements of Brutality is their 2011 debut EP. Combining technical death metal with grindcore-styled vocals, Blood Meridian has created a bone-crushingly heavy opus that should please fans of the genre. These guys still have a bit of work to do before they can be put in the same league as the veterans of Indian metal, but this is a promising beginning for a talented young act.
Blood Meridian plays a hybrid of technical death metal and grindcore. The music itself isn't always filled with grind elements, but the vocals from Bhaskar consist of pig squeals, death growls, high-pitched snarls, chicken squeaks, and whatever other name fits to your liking. Although I can't say I personally enjoy all of his styles, he's an incredibly diverse and skillful vocalist, and I have the deepest respect for him because of that. The music itself is highly-technical death metal in the vein of Suffocation, so expect some mind-boggling riffs here. A few softer moments do find their way into Elements of Brutality, but they are few and far between. My biggest issue is ultimately related to the production of the EP, which is, in all honesty, not very professional. The drums sound weak, the guitars flat, and the overall sound is lacking in cohesion and power.
Although it suffers from some standard debut release flaws, Blood Meridian has started out on the right foot with Elements of Brutality. People who enjoy acts like Suffocation and aren't allergic to grind-influenced vocals will undoubtedly find plenty to love on this EP. My own personal enjoyment is mixed, though, and the most I can give is a solid 3 stars. This is a young band with an adventurous attitude, and I can only imagine they will do great things in the coming years!