Biogenesis - The Mark Bleeds Through

Biogenesis - The Mark Bleeds Through

This is one of those albums that I put off buying time and time again and finally when I bought it I couldn't believe that I had waited so long. Biogenesis lays down some really impressive heavy metal in huge mix of styles which I would call a progressive thrash/death sound. These guys have got to be one of the most promising new acts in Christian metal today. Although they have many influences from other bands, they have an original sound that is all their own. Musically, they are really technical and heavy, with tons of awesome riffs that are as heavy as a load of bricks. Vocally, Chaz Bond does quite a job of mixing many different approaches that work surprisingly well together. From some clean vocals ala Saviour Machine or Deliverance, to some thrashy yell vocals ala Steve Rowe (only MUCH better), to some deathly growls (which I really enjoy!). Overall, I'd say that Biogenesis is what Steve Rowe dreams that Mortification should sound like, yet with Mort it comes out much different and not half as powerful.

Lyrically, Bio pulls no punches attacking subjects such as abortion, fortune telling, and Buddah. The top songs here are easily "I Am the One" and "Inner Child". "I Am the One" just reeks of emotion. I've occasionally had tears in my eyes listening to this songs and it's cries of "I am the one who carried the burden of your loss/I am the one who took your wrongs/and nailed them to the cross/I am the one who was hurting when you cried/I am the one who loved you/even after you denied." This is no ballad though. This is a massive song that needs to be heard by all metal fans. The song seems to end at one point, then a soft acoustic guitar comes in. It doesn't stay long though as the pace picks up extremely with a mosh-fest ending that is accompanied by a crazy guitar solo. "Inner Child" as I mentioned is another great song. It is also an emotion-filled song that has a very memorable hook that you'll be singing for days.

The artwork is also very well done, which I believe was done by Samuel Durling. Production is also stellar. Overall, I can't see anyone passing up this release. I am greatly looking forward to their next release "Peace, Love, and Hypocrisy" which should be out in 2003. Very impressive!! (Review by Matt)

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Out of Dayton, Ohio comes a very unique and talented band of outstanding proportions! This band adds something that to me has been missing in metal period! That missing piece is called uniqueness! Unique in a way that a band can add thrash, death, goth, and classic metal all to a disk equally in their songs to create a piece of work. Sometimes this reminds me of the band Love Like Blood mixed with Sisters of Mercy, while at other times it reminds me of Slayer and Cannibal Corpse. Not to forget the bit of Ozzy and Dio with some touches of Black Sabbath. This list is endless. Biogenesis signed a deal with the American office of Rowe Productions and the result was "The Mark Bleeds Through". The thing about Biogenesis that sticks out are the vocals and the four different styles that were used. Vocalist Chaz Bond can go from a harsh yell type growl into a clean melodic tone and into deep gutteral growls in one breath and he does it great! The guitar riffs in here really reminisce rhythms of Cannibal Corpse and Slayer. This band is not a death metal band, nor is it a thrash band. They are just plain and simply a metal band. The bass in here is kept pretty simple...Probably because he cant follow the guitars...or make his own insane bass lines that flow with the music. The drums pound good but the beats used are way too simple to match the guitars. The rhythms really groove going through different speeds throughout this disc. Don't let either of the things about the drums and bass throw you off though. This band does an outstanding job of writing some interesting music. They are definitely not scared to experiment. I like every song on here quite a bit! If you are looking for some good modern metal, this is definitely a CD to get! (Review by Biff Bartholemew)

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