Bloody Times - On a Mission

Bloody Times

On a Mission

by Louise Brown at 28 January 2019, 11:30 AM

BLOODY TIMES is a Heavy Metal act from Germany which features several people from many different bands, including former members of MANOWAR and ICED EARTH. The core of the band consists of John Greely as the vocalist, and Simon Pfundstein as the guitarist and bass player.  To date the band has two singles and another album ("The Fire of Immortality") to its' credit.

The song "Alliance" opens the album. The track begins slowly then very gradually speeds up until it launches into full-blown Heavy Metal mode. The song contains all of the classic elements of its genre; heavily masculine themes hitting upon brotherhood and the whole"It's us or them" scenario that seemed to be so prevalent in Heavy Metal during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Given the fact that Ross the Boss makes an appearance on the song I really can't say I was shocked by the similarity to the few MANOWAR songs I've listened to over the years. If you enjoy that band's music then you will like this song. The next track,  "Fort Sumter," starts out with a noticeable IRON MAIDEN influence. The intro features some nice guitar riffs that lead to the vocals. I thought the song's speed and John Greely's personal pace weren't very compatible. The manner in which the song was mixed left something to be desired as well since it seemed like there was too much emphasis on the vocals rather than balancing them with the background music. Fortunately, a nice guitar solo makes up for some of the other aspects that the track is lacking. "Die In A Hole" has a very solid intro featuring some solid guitar riffs. I find myself disappointed as the song continues, however. Despite the obvious anthem-type vibe that it was intended to establish it comes across as insincere and flat instead. The title strongly implied that there was a struggle of some sort, yet I never did find myself convinced of it. Unfortunately, the band did not deliver on this one. The energy and the passion simply are not there.

"Curse of Genevieve" features a dramatic voice-over as it begins. It ends up being another one of those songs that lack any sort of spark or energy. The lyrics didn't compel me, nor did the music itself. It seemed like something that was an afterthought rather than a planned part of the album's song line-up. With regard to the rest of the album's material it stuck out like a sore thumb. The album's fifth track, "Future Secret," starts out promising as guitar riffs blend with keyboards. It improves considerably once the guitar kicks into high gear briefly before the vocalist John Greely performs. As much as I want to be moved by the song's anthem-like overtones I find myself unable to do so. There is no impact behind the lyrics as they are delivered which is highly frustrating to me. If you intend to make a song of this type then you HAVE TO convince your audience that you are sincerely invested in the song, too. It's supposed to be "us versus them" but it left me feeling disinterested and sort of bored. It's a shame, too, because music itself is quite good and is the only thing that keeps the song from being a complete failure.

By the time the sixth song started I have to admit I was not sure I wanted to continue. However, I could still sense some sort of potential so I decided to give the other songs a chance. "Operation Focus" begins extremely slow. However, it has a nice bassline as well as good guitar riffs. The nicest surprise is the quality of the vocals on the track; much, much better compared to the others. It's a balanced track that features the music and the vocals in a manner that makes it one that I wanted to listen to rather than feeling forced to do so. With the addition of an exceptional guitar solo this song becomes something worthy of the Old School Heavy Metal label. Tracks seven and eight are actually linked together. "The Warning(Until Blood Boils, Part 1)" is first. It's a shorter track at just over two minutes. I really liked it! The vocals were low and sinister as they blended with the background music quite effectively to build some suspense within the song. Another nice guitar solo is part of the track, too. The follow-up track, "The Revenge (Until Blood Boils, Part 2)," has a great intro that is fast-paced with excellent percussion. Again, the vocals are quite good, too. I think the range on this song suits Greely's vocal mannerisms far better as he's allowed to really sing to the best of his ability. It reminds me of some of KING DIAMOND'S work which is not a bad thing at all. The song is GOOD! It's my favorite off of the album, too.

The last track is called "Day of Collapse" and is about the events of September 11th, 2001 when the Twin Towers fell in New York City. The song is slower which makes the vocal delivery less than optimal. However, the backing music is fairly good as it features more of those exceptionally nice guitar riffs that almost always manage to save the song in question. Another great guitar solo to enjoy in this one as well. Overall, not a bad album. I think with a little more work the next album by BLOODY TIMES will be even better.

Songwriting: 5
Originality: 4
Memorability: 5
Production: 4