Metalcore Outfit BLEED AGAIN Deliver Hard Hitting Metal Ballad With “Black Heart”

"Black Heart" is out now [photo: Bleed Again]

It can be a bit of a cliche, but I always appreciate a metal band who can deliver softer, more ballad-esque tracks - the idea that good songwriting prevails no matter how heavy. Metalcore band BLEED AGAIN do exactly that with their latest track "Black Heart".

Straight away, there is a softer edge to this compared to the band's previous tracks. All expectations are out the window. The vocals remind me of Chester Bennington, carrying the track with emotion and power, and the instrumentation is thin, letting the melody take the spotlight.

A gentle arpeggiated piano in the chorus adds variation, and strings add to the dynamic. This is firmly a metal ballad, and it doesn't try to hide the fact.

I'm not always a fan of drum machines/electric beats in metal songs, but for a softer song like this it works perfectly. There's a lot of build up, and the pay off comes in the second chorus. The full band now in, this where the heaviness really shines through. The guitars sound thick and heavy, the drums punching through the mix. And beneath it all, there is still the gentle piano from before, the track pushing and pulling from one side to the other - light and dark, soft and heavy.

Returning to the quieter chorus one last time makes the ending stronger, really delivering that final punch.

Visualiser for "Black Heart" [cred. Bleed Again]

It might be a ballad, but there is still plenty of heaviness - the band are tight, and the production gives the track a grand feel deserving of larger venues.

The end product is a strong piece of modern metal, and sees Bleed Again continue to cement themselves as one to watch.

"Black Heart" is out NOW on streaming platforms