Scottish metal outfit Bleed From Within have been one of the leading lights of the UK metal scene for over 17 years, with their ability to draw inspiration from a plethora of metal stylers a standout feature of their sound.
Mixing the extremities of metal sub-genres with the complexities of their hosts, Bleed From Within are difficult to categorise musically, and all the more better for it.
On the eve of the release of their latest album and first through Nuclear Blast Records, Shrine, drummer Ali Richardson sat down with HEAVY for a detailed look at the band and their new music.
We start by pointing out the obvious in that after a tumultuous last 18 months the chance to put out some new music must be something that creates a renewed level of excitement in Bleed From Within.
"Everybody suffered, no matter all walks of life,” he pondered when speaking of the last two years, “but there was something about the creative industries and the music industry that just seemed to hit hard. That connection that we're always searching for when you play a live show or just releasing music and being able to connect with fans and audiences and being face to face and feel that energy in a room when you play a show... having that taken away from you for so long was horrible. It was a really weird period of adjustment, just getting used to not having it. It's the longest that I've gone without playing a show in over 20 years - basically since I started gigging - so it was a hard time for all involved and all affected by it. We're here on the other side now and everyone's made it through and we're really excited to share the material that we've been working on."
In the full interview, Ali talks more about Shrine, the press releases claim it is the most complete album the band has made, where the band drew inspiration from, road testing material live, keeping diversity in their music, touring plans and more.