IBRIDOMA - Sangue Innocente

Realize starts of fast and riffy. Soon, rapid-fire drums enter the soundscape and the listener is thrust into a ripper heavy metal track full of energy. One thing that sticks out immediately is the drumming because the production on the drums is surprisingly good. The drums sound clean, vibrant, and are nicely placed within the mix. On top of that, it sounds as if the drummer is having fun playing his kit, which is always a great thing to hear in music.

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Childhood Denied begins hard and heavy. Likewise, the lyricism is not what you would expect: it details childhood trauma stemming from an abusive alcoholic father. This track turns an album already full of serious topics into a powerful exploration of some of the darker aspects of the human condition. Musically, this track differs in tone from most of the other songs with a darker, more sinister feel and deeper low-end emphasis, echoing the grave story being told. Overall, it’s a great track that smacks with emotional depth.

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When the third track Sangue Innocente began it became clear to me that this album would be a good one as it’s just one great track after another. The introduction to this song is very different from the last two. It’s quicker, sharper. The vocals are especially melodic in this track and are somewhat reminiscent of The Mars Volta à la L’Via L’Viaquez (and I very much mean that in a good way). 

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Jumping ahead a few tracks we find Sole Freddo which much like Childhood Denied carried a sinister tone with darker guitar licks. Those who enjoy a heavier tone in their heavy metal will appreciate these darker songs.

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Sing in the Sky has a rather upbeat and hopeful sound created through a combination of strong versus soaring over catchy guitars. This hopeful vibe nicely compliments the lyrics which touch on the legacy of a friend who has passed on. While the pain of loss is clearly present, this track will leave you feeling surprisingly sentimental.

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Overall, Sangue Innocente is a very satisfying album to listen to. The musicianship is solid and competent. The production also stands out–clean, nicely balanced, nicely mixed–it’s really quite good. What also deserves respect is Ibridoma’s ability to write songs that each feel different enough from each other that they remain interesting and add variety to the overall sound and structure of the album. All too often, bands become stuck repeating the same riffs, motifs, rhythms, and song structures and the end result becomes rather boring. Ibridoma avoids this with well-structured songs that aren’t afraid to mix up their tempos or riff styles. The only real criticism I would offer is that the vocals, while good and pleasant to listen to, could benefit from some variety in pitch or delivery style. 

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With fast yet catchy riffs, well-structured tracks, good production, and an interesting and varied bundle of subject matters, Ibridoma have managed to knock this one out the park.

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SCORE 9/10

Reviewed by Alexandra Desailly

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