All That I Bleed - Dying To Remember


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Silverstone Records
Catalog Number: SIL0001
Format: CD
Total Time: 56:37:00

All That I Bleed? Now, that sounds like a death metal band or something? Well, think not. Are you even listening to me right now, or are you just surprised that this band hails from Puerto Rico? Well, once you hear the music, I think the shock could actually hurt you. Combining progressive passages and solos with technical metal rhythms and heavy metal hooks, All That I Bleed is a band you'll be "dying to remember." Hopefully, by the end of this review, you will be saying, "Yo quiero All That I Bleed!" By the way, pardon my small knowledge of the language, if I only just knew more (you can laugh now, I think?)

First of all, the cover is amazing, describing the title perfectly. There are some albums I just have take out of The Collection to see the cover (Cairo's Time Of Legends for example), and Dying To Remember fits the criteria. Now, let's talk about the music. All That I Bleed has some intricate and creative melodies that consist of many pattern breaks and odd time signatures. Guitar player Oscar Quintana is one of the up and coming stars of the genre due to his multifaceted riffs and thoughtful phrasing. Make sure to watch for him, but more importantly, make sure to watch for this band in the future. The rhythm section serves as great compliment to Oscar's heavy leads, and the vocals of Leonardo Rivera, who also did the immaculate cover and produced the album, provide a well derived contrast to the music as a whole, as his tone is very memorable and consistent throughout the songs. Some of the vocal harmonies, especially during the choruses, are extremely well done. Enough so, that a certain catchiness exists in the music, which is what I meant by hooks in the first paragraph. Lyrically, this album comes off tremendously intelligent. The additional talking sections, like on "I Stand Alone," are interesting and take nothing away from the music at all.

With all that's positive, I must mention the negative. And, the only thing I can really say is that this band is still raw, but then again, this is their debut. They still have room for improvement, and they probably could be somewhat more melodic overall, but with Dying To Remember, All That I Bleed has taken that first step forward; I can't wait to see the next step. The last track, the epic "Promise of Life," is not only the best on the album to me, but it is probably worth the purchase of the album itself. It is really a mature piece of work, incorporating all their styles, from jazz-fusion to slower passages, in 18 minutes of pure bliss. I admit that there are a couple tracks that don't excite me too much, but with "Dying To Remember," "Promise of Life", "Gods", "I Confess", and the single entitled "I Stand Alone", All That I Bleed is a band that deserves attention. Their ideas are great, but I just think they need more work and refining. Basically, with their talent, awareness, and distinctive sound, All That I Bleed just needs more experience and definition, but this debut, I confess, is one that you should think about putting on that "To Get" list when the end of June rolls around. Now, say it with me, "Yo quiero All That I Bleed!"

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]
Tracklisting:
Chaos Theory (1:11) / Dying To Remember (10:07) / I Stand Alone (4:09) / Gods (7:39) / Real (4:35) / Horizons (6:27) / I Confess (3:42) / Promise Of Life (18:47): I. Asleep II. Rain III. Soliloquy IV. Listen? V. Deaf Ears That Turn Away

Musicians:
Carlos De Jesus - drums, background vocals
Oscar Quintana - guitars
Leonardo Rivera - vocals and background vocals
Jorge C. Venegas - bass, background vocals


Discography:
Dying To Remember (2002)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin PR

Added: November 26th 2004
Reviewer: Shawn "Zero Hour" Lakhani
Score:
Artist website: www.allthatibleed.com
Hits: 2235
Language: english

  

[ Back to Reviews Index | Post Comment ]