Album: Baleful Creed, 'Seismic Shifter'

I’ve used the phrase ‘old-school’ a lot lately for various artists, but Baleful Creed may just take the cake in this regard. While other releases take more modern genres like epic doom and power metal and shoot them through with classic metal vibes, Baleful Creed throw themselves in wholeheartedly; it’s vintage hard rock with more modern influences rather than the other way around. Indeed, it may not be possible to listen to ‘Seismic Shifter’ without purchasing a motorbike soon after. It’s head-nodding, foot-tapping, groovy, sexy heavy metal, shot through with blues rock and laid-back cool. Freshened by some snarling grunge energy and with fantastic execution, this is a top-notch record for any listener, not just those with an interest in the genre.

If we’re going to use labels like old-school and classic (and they're used a lot in this review), let’s clarify what’s signified here. Baleful Creed deliver a generally slow to medium pace, clean but growly vocals, and chunky, rhythmic riffs. Their hooks are catchy, their structures fundamental, and their energy drawn from slick confidence rather than drama and passion. I’m a millennial metalhead who came to the heavy stuff via the heretical path of goth/emo culture, so I didn’t get into it immediately, but I was recently introduced to their self-titled album, and after a few songs I found myself immersed in the groove. ‘Seismic Shifter’ is a more confident album, embracing the Baleful Creed sound and playing around with it in several different directions. There’s a specific vibe underpinning the whole set, but every track has an identity too. 

‘Devil’s Side’ is a very representative opener, establishing the tough, gritty sound the rest of the record is going to leverage. There’s a tempo shift to add some complexity, a nice catchy chorus, and a rolling, dynamic riff that keeps movement throughout. I’m struggling to describe the sound, because words like ‘simple’ and ‘repetitive’ have negative connotations, but they’re accurate. When Baleful Creed are simple, they’re simple like a book is more simple than a Kindle; when they’re repetitive, it’s because things that ain’t broke needn’t be fixed. In these senses, ‘Memento Mori’ is even more simple and repetitive than ‘Devil’s Side’, and got stuck in my head almost instantly, with a catchy chorus and some cool vocal effects that give it a Sabbath-y vibe. ‘Levy’ changes things up with a bouncier tempo that’s so Blues that it tastes of whiskey; it even has a bloody harmonica, which (somehow) fits perfectly. The influences of grunge start to show in ‘God’s Fear’ and ‘Grind’, somewhat heavier tracks in both guitar and vocals. 

The snarling ‘Faux Celebrity’ is, perhaps ironically, one of the catchiest songs on the album, thanks to a faster pace and an aggressive string of rhymes. It demonstrates another strength of Baleful Creed’s sound; while I comment on the songs following a few basic vibes, they’re all very distinct, and became memorable after only one or two listens. ‘Walking Wounded’ has an especially slow pace with a floor-shaking, bassy rhythm guitar and a great change of pace halfway through that allows it to be the best of two worlds (I had it marked as my favourite track on the album but then fell in love with ‘Levy’). ‘Lose Religion’ goes much more aggressive both musically and lyrically, with some punk energies blended into the hard rock, illustrating the variety at play. ‘Forgiven’ and ‘The Wolf’ appear to round things out with laid-back charm rather than chaotic drama, but the former has a kick-ass solo and the latter gets heavier as it approaches the end, so all the bases are covered. 

As I said, it took me a while to really get into Baleful Creed’s sound, but once I did, I was hooked. This record doesn’t sound like it originates in 2017 at all, it’s got the smoke-and-leather quality of bygone days, but with modern tweaks, diverse influences, and excellent production. Every element is solid throughout; especially the vocal work, and while the songs seem clear and basic, they’ve got enough complexity and diversity that the record easily hits its 46-minute runtime without the need for filler. As someone who often looks for metal that’s as bleak, dramatic or epic as possible, I find Baleful Creed have a Goldilocks quality: not too fast, not too slow, not too heavy and not too calm; everything is just right. 

Favourite track: ‘Levy’

Polite Recommendation: More of that heavy blues goodness

For fans of: Black Sabbath, Safire, Maverick, Pearl Jam, Mötley Crüe

Get it here: Download