Label : Hammerheart Records
Release : 26-5-2023
Dutch progressive Death Metal legends Phlebotomized at the peak of their 30-year career! Phlebotomized is one of the oldest Death Metal bands from the Netherlands and one of the first to use violin and synthesizers in extreme metal. Their typical "Death Metal with a twist" caused a stir in the thriving Dutch metal scene in the early 1990s. Formed in 1989, Phlebotomized began as a Grindcore/Death Metal band inspired by acts such as Morbid Angel, Nocturnus and Paradise Lost. Later, the band began using keyboard and violin arrangements, resulting in their unique sound. Their "Devoted to God" demo (1992) was recognized worldwide as a classic demo. In 1994, Phlebotomized released their groundbreaking "Immense Intense Suspense" album, which offered an intelligent blend of atmosphere and brutality. It took the Death Metal scene by storm and gave both the band and the album legendary Cult status worldwide. The band played countless shows, but broke up shortly after the release of their second full-length album "Skycontact" in 1997. After a 16-year hibernation, Phlebotomized regrouped in 2013 following the re-release of their classic albums.
The band played several live shows and began thinking about making a new album. After several lineup changes, their comeback album "Deformation of Humanity" was recorded and released by Hammerheart Records in 2019. This album received rave reviews and Phlebotomized played several (international) shows and festivals in 2019. In 2020, they dove into the studio again to record their EP "Pain, Resistance, Suffering," released in 2021. Again a recording with all the elements that set Phlebotomized apart from the ordinary: quirky and exploring outside the scope of conventional paths in Death Metal.
On to 2023 and "Clouds Of Confusion"! If you're a Death Metal fan who still craves the 90s, you need "Clouds of Confusion." It doesn't get any better than this if you love what Phlebotomized did in the past. If you want your head to pop, check out "Clouds of Confusion" for true Old School Death Metal. For those of you who don't want to mindlessly bang your head, who can let things like atmosphere and intelligence enter their realm from time to time, you'll appreciate this just as much. Still, we wouldn't condone what Phlebotomized delivers on this great album, because there is so much more to hear and discover. Something that is rare these days, an album that grows, an album that reveals something new with every spin. Perhaps it is another album that is ahead of its time, although it certainly looks back in time just as well.
