UMUR "Bleeding" is the 4th and last album in the original run of US, San Diego based progressive metal act Psychotic Waltz. The album was released through Bullet Proof Records in July 1996. It´s the successor to "Mosquito" from 1994 and features one lineup change as original bassist Ward Evans left Psychotic Waltz shortly after the completion of "Mosquito (1994)" and has been replaced here by Phil Cuttino. Although "Bleeding" was a successful release for the band (...underground successful), it was unfortunately the beginning of the end for the band. During the shooting of the promotional video for the track "Faded", an actress who appeared in the video said she was exposed to a light which caused partial blindness, and she subsequently sued the band. During the lengthy legal battle which ensued the band folded. The legal battle was probably the trigger for the split-up of the band, but creative differences had also begun to appear.

But that´s getting ahead of history, as things were still good around the time of writing and recording "Bleeding". Stylistically "Bleeding" continues the more regular vers/chorus formula songwriting approach of "Mosquito (1994)", but it´s ultimately still a very different sounding release to its direct predecessor. While "Mosquito (1994)" was dark and heavy, "Bleeding" is more melodic and bright release (although still mostly featuring a melancholic atmosphere), loaded with memorable soaring vocal melodies. Keyboards were used on all three predecessors to varying degrees, but here they are more dominantly present in the soundscape. Not as a lead instrument, but as an atmosphere enhancer. There´s still an occasional psychadelic touch to the band´s music, but to my ears that element is not as strong as it has previously been, although a track like "Northern Lights", featuring lyrics about smoking weed in Amsterdam and walking around town, of course still point in that direction (as does many of the lyrics on the album).

Scott Burns who produced "Mosquito (1994)" was tapped to engineer "Bleeding", but guitarist Dan Rock is credited for mixing and producing the album (with Woody Barber). As a result the sound production is what I´d characterize as a bit up and down in quality. The drums don´t feature the most pleasent sound and the guitars are sometimes a bit too high in the mix (and the flute solo on "My Grave" is placed too low in the mix)), but overall the album still sounds relatively good.

The material on "Bleeding" are generally well written and catchy, but to my ears the album is frontloaded with the best tracks, while the latter part of the album features most of the less remarkable songs. Highlights are "Faded", "Locust", "Morbid", the title track, and "Northern Lights", the first four of which happen to open the album. The acoustic based power ballad "My Grave", which includes flute playing courtesy of lead vocalist Buddy Lackey, should also be mentioned among the standout tracks on the album, although it´s a bit of a rehash of the ideas used on "I Remember" from "A Social Grace (1990)". Psychotic Waltz are as well playing as ever and Lackey´s voice and vocal style provide the band with a touch of originality. "Bleeding" is not a flawless album and it´s not the band´s strongest album either, but it´s still an original sounding high quality progressive metal album and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

AtomicCrimsonRush Short blasts of metal with strong powerful melodies.

The final great Psychotic Waltz album is as good if not better than “Mosquito”. It may not live up to the technical wizardry of “Into The Everflow” or “A Social Grace”, but this has 11 tracks of outstanding quality, not a bad song on the album, and some of the best metal of the late 90s. None of the songs reach 5 minutes and are rather short blasts of energy that are melodic, and swing from light textures of acoustic and keyboards to intense violent distorted riffs and blitzkrieg lead solo work. The complexity of the first 2 albums is non existent, making this their least progressive, but the melodies are bright and innovative with some excellent guitar work.

Faded is absolutely brilliant metal with a bassline to die for by Evans, and the intricate metal blasts of Rock and McAlpin. The vocals of Lackey are dynamic. The time sig changes are inspirational . I can’t stop playing this track! The lead break is soaring and inventive. This is one of the best opening tracks to any metal band including Metallica’s Battery.

This is followed by the atmospheric melodic Locust. Lackey’s vocals and keyboards sound spacey, and generate a futuristic dark dystopian feel. There are some great riffs compliment the swathes of syth. The percussion of Leggio is as usual inspirational.

Morbid has a very nice piano motif with huge sustained metal distorted chords that ring out. The riff is complex and the vocals are again high falsetto at times, Labrie-like even, but the real drawcard is the structure of the song. It has a strong beat in the verses and the tension release for the chorus; “I’m morbid, I’m morbid”. The lead break follows the melody line with the keyboards at first then explodes into a paroxysm of high powered hammer ons and sweeps, speed down picking and squealing string bends. A killer track!

Bleeding is kind of more accessible, straight forward metal with a strong melody. A bit like Sabbath with the doomy metal riffs and high tenor vocals.

Need grabbed me with its frantic riff and very accomplished vocals by Lackey. It has a strong powerful guitar chord structure.

The melody of Drift is infectious and the song literally imbeds itself into your brain. The melodies of these songs are all in fact very easy to latch onto. This one finishes before it has a chance to get complex, unfortunately.

An ultra cool riff drives Northern Lights and erratic vocals. The sound is more commercial sounding but there is still a grinding metal core in the midst of all the melodies.

Sleep is one of my least favourite tracks, a bit dull in places and takes a while to get going.

My Grave and Skeleton are both great songs, with some dark lyrics but a bright sounding guitar riff.

Freedom? Is definitely one of my favourite Psychotic Waltz tracks with a strong melody line and very powerful vocals. Once again this is a song that totally blew me away from the word go.

Undoubtedly, this is a terrific metal album that has some of the best material from the band; all killer no filler, it typifies the sound the band have created throughout their short but infamous career. “Bleeding” is a step up from the disappointing “Mosquito”. I would state that every metal fan should find something to enjoy on this excellent album.