Review: Rosetta’s Ruin – Bloodline
Artist: Rosetta’s Ruin
Album: Bloodline
Rating: 3.5/5
The UK is home to some of the best signed and unsigned metalcore bands that you’ll ever hear. Bands such as Architects, Bury Tomorrow, Bullet for My Valentine, etc all call this part of the world home. I don’t know if it’s that the genre isn’t nearly as popular there as it is in the US or other parts of the world, but it breeds some excellent talent. The newest name to keep your eyes on comes from Bristol, part early metalcore and a bit of a hardcore influence. I introduce you to Rosetta’s Ruin. The band has a sound rooted in the “heydays” of the genre, when these bands were praised for their ability to do more than chug and write lyrics about partying. Rather, they tend to wear their emotions (and talent) on their sleeves, in full form. Their breakout EP, Bloodline, will be released on Monday and they’ve already shared the stage with the likes of bands like Slaves (US) and Hawthorne Heights!
Ah, gone seem to be the days when an album opens up with a great, faded in guitar riff. Fortunately for us, that’s just how “Burden” opens up before vocalist Simon Sibley explodes with angst-ridden, higher range screams. Guitarists Duncan Hilton and Harley Watson perfectly compliment one another’s talents, attacking their riffs with vigor. The heavier portions of this track contain a lot of chugging but it’s not boring, repetitive chugging like you may be used to from bands in the genre. About mid-way through, Watson lets loose with an impressive solo that will have the listener breaking out their air-guitar to after a couple listens. As the EP continues, you’ll quickly learn that these guys know how to combine crushing heaviness with melody, giving you around the same formula for each track… but used in just the right way, so as to not get too overbearing on the listener. There’s no real climactic point to the EP, rather it just continues to pummel you, track after track, solo after solo. Vocally, Sibley’s singing reminds me of early Hawthorne Heights, when you could tell that JT was just a young man. They convey a ton of emotion, with every note.
Is Bloodline perfect? Well, not entirely… they are still a very young band and have much room for improvement. As far as unsigned metalcore bands go, though, they’re definitely coming into their own and they managed to impress me from the start. The EP doesn’t get boring or stale, nor is it terribly formulaic. I’d love to see Sibley work on his range of screams, because I feel that a nice mixture between lows, mids and highs would benefit their sound wonderfully. Overall, though, I’d recommend picking up a copy of Bloodline when it releases Monday and keeping your eye on these guys because their hard work is definitely paying off. It’s clear that their potential has yet to be unlocked, but that key is just beyond the horizon! Check out the video for “Hands of Heaven” below and go pre-order your copy!
“Hands of Heaven” (Official Music Video)
Pre-Order Bloodline
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Rosetta’s Ruin is:
Simon Sibley – Vocals
Duncan Hilton – Guitar
Harley Watson – Guitar
Rob Blake – Bass
Ben Johnson – Drums
