Blindfolded and Led to the Woods – Rejecting Obliteration
Release Date: 19th May 2023
Label: Prosthetic Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Dissonant Death Metal, Chaotic Metal, Progressive Death Metal.
FFO: Artificial Brain, Anachronism, Nightmarer.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Last year, when I first heard Blindfolded and Led to the Woods’ album Nightmare Withdrawals, I was blown away by their chaotic dissonant death metal. As I do whenever I find a new band that slays, I quickly made my way to Bandcamp to check out their back catalog. I was initially put off by the amateurish graphics and goofy song titles on their first three releases, especially the Insane Clown Posse meets Rambo picture on their 2011 EP, Armed to the Teeth with Jellybeans. That said, it only took a few minutes listening to each of those three albums to realize that the music was legit, even back in the band’s infancy. With Nightmare Withdrawals, and now Rejecting Obliteration, Blindfolded and Led to the Woods has successfully matched the ferocity of their music with graphics and song titles that are equally badass, and where Nightmare Withdrawals was a step forward in production quality and overall imagery, Rejecting Obliteration, Blindfolded and Led to the Woods’ Prosthetic Records debut, bests that album in the same ways.
The album kicks off with Monolith, a song chock-full of dissonant death metal on par with that being put out by bands like Artificial Brain and Nightmarer. Add to that some chaotic riffing and a section of beautiful, atmospheric, clean guitars, and you’ve got a recipe for some sick, forward-thinking death metal. Methlehem ratchets up the disquiet with more chaotic riffing overtop of the dissonance, then transitions to hardcore until the end. Blindfolded and Led to the Woods continues to bludgeon the listener with songs similarly overflowing with dissonance and chaos. The title song stands out for a few black metal-esque chords that they add to their already overflowing arsenal of styles and influences, while Wraith includes a dreamy section that juxtaposes nicely with the insane heaviness of the opening riff. Funeral Smiles is a brief song that leans heavy on the chaotic guitar work, while Hands of Contrition once again finds the beauty in the dissonance that Blindfolded and Led to the Woods does so well.
In a metal marketplace that is seeing a lot of quality dissonant death metal releases this year, Blindfolded and Led to the Woods has set themselves apart by using chaotic riffing to add to the atmosphere and overall effect of their music. Fans of either or both genres will find much on Rejecting Obliteration to enjoy, and I expect this album will wind up on more than a few best-of lists come December.
(4 / 5)
