Blodørn

Step one: Identify the problem. Step Two: Fix it. Surprisingly lots of bands ignore or miss this simple two-step process when writing follow-up releases. Thankfully that wasn't the case here with Sadistic Embodiments's second EP, which appeared a mere six months after their debut. A rapid improvement in song quality is one of the many positive aspects of bands that keep busy, never letting the grass grow under their feet. Blodorn is a marked improvement in writing compared to the self-titled EP. All the missteps present on the previous EP aren't entirely absent here, but there is a definite reduction of the most glaring ones.

One of the most obvious improvements is with the influences from which they draw. Aside from the drummer, the boys in Sadistic don't particularly come from bands that experimented with non-conventional writing. Writing traditional songs isn't a bad thing. Some people want to be journeymen, and some people want to jump out of planes in squirrel suits; to each their own. The debut EP was the equivalent of being a middle-aged Walmart greeter; it was fucking bland. Blodorn took their one-track love for Six Feet Under and added some of the zazz from their previous bands, namely Death Toll Rising and threw in some Kataklysm and Decapitated. There is a genuine entertainment factor emerging in the music. There are some points that you wish that they had put the songs through a few more passes in the QC department. At least they're cognizant of their weakness and work to sort them out. Sadistic Embodiment's core is THE RIFF, but everyone has to step up their game and bring some seasoning to the sauce. Having the current Into Eternity drummer should have almost guaranteed some next level drumming, and he does bring some flash to the songs on this EP. Whereas the last disc, he discarded almost all flare to sit in riff's pocket; and was partly to blame for that EP coming off as meh.

The songs just overall flow better, save from the opening title track having an out-of-place middle section, but they all feel resolved. The closing track 'Red Room' is the stand out here, finding some chords utilized more by our eastern Canadian friends. Still very traditional and melodic, but it was a refreshing change of feel. My main gripe about this disc still starts with the sameness of the vocals and disjointed lead work. The vocal issue is straight-up a pattern shortcoming with the lyrics. Had they written some more adventurous lyrical phrasing, the vocalist would've had some differing timing ideas to play with. The lead work is played well enough, but it doesn't know what it wants to be. One moment it's melodic and expressive, and the next it's climbing up fretboard haphazardly, abandoning any feeling entirely. I am a fan of the Mustaine/Petrozza, grab as many notes as possible technique, but even they stayed on target.

Blodorn is a drastically improved release from a band that had been around for less than a year at this time. It's not an album of the year prospect, but for the most part, it's enjoyable from start to finish. Having heard the releases that have come after this, I can assure you that the song quality continues to improve. I would honestly recommend not skipping this EP if you are into this style of death metal. I think that you would find this release an enjoyable way to kill 20 minutes.