(Dockyard 1)
Total Time: 39:30
As children, most of us, were always taught not to judge a book by its cover and what a better example of this than the Japanese band BLOOD STAIN CHILD! When I first saw the band on the back of their new album “Mozaiq” I surely wasn’t prepared for the music I was going to listen after inserting the disc into my cd player. The appearance of the band refers to a clearly electro-gothic look whereas their music brings straight to mind bands like IN FLAMES and CHILDREN OF BODOM. Maybe this “dual personality” in the look of the band mirrors the actual composition of BLOOD CHILD STAIN’s music. Something else that mirrors the band’s music is the fervent love the japanese audience has for Scandinavian bands.
Although previous releases of the band showed clearly the strong influence that Scandinavian bands like the aforementioned ones had on BLOOD STAIN CHILD, “Mozaiq” has managed to stray from the beaten path, claiming a new identity. Now, the thrash music that till their previous album was almost mimicking those Finish bands, is enriched with electronic and techno sounds, as the keyboards have taken over and play a bigger role in the compositions. Another plus in this release is the fact that the band got a singer, whereas till then this role was taken up by bassist Ryo – who still operates as a second vocalist. The result is more diverse and rich vocals that alternate from grunts and growls to milder vocals. Of course, this change works both ways. While BLOOD STAIN CHILD have kept their music’s ferocity and dynamic the electronic elements have made their presence noticeable to the point where many fans will be repelled by it. As you can imagine this album is not recommended to those who don’t like novelties in their “traditional” melodic death metal. But those of you that don’t mind a mixture of different styles and like to experiment, give BLOOD STAIN CHILD a try, you may find something very interesting there.
