Album Review: Bombus – Your Blood (Black Lodge)

Gothenburg’s Bombus returns with their new album, ‘Your Blood’, marking the dawn of a fresh musical chapter. It will be released on November 1st, 2024, via Black Lodge.

On the one hand, this is the same band that has brought us stellar releases like The Poet and the Parrot (2013), Repeat Until Death (2016), and Vulture Culture (2019). Then, on the other, it’s an unfamiliar direction that the band is heading in and one that might prove to be a bit polarising. Devolving their metal sound and combining it with a hard rock style that mixes classic elements with modernised freshness.

Happily, it’s not so far removed from what Bombus do as to be off-putting for long term listeners, it just needs some getting used to. Although an anthemic hit of rocking liveliness like opener Killer certainly helps that. Bombus start this record off in style, but then immediately upend things with the synthy goth intro of The One. It’s baffling, but happily, just one part of the picture as the band ‘power up’ and transform this into a robust head-banger with layers of gothic sensations. It’s exactly what I mean when I describe this album as potentially polarising.

Yet, it has so much charm and it’s a delight to hear Bombus experiment as the likes No Rules (sounding a bit Ghost-like), Take You Down (the darker riff is exciting, if not a bit repetitive), and Your Blood (dreamy and psych-touched) wrap up the first half. The latter of these three is easily one of the most creative tracks on the album.

The creativity keeps on coming though and as the howl of a wolf rings out, The Beast comes galloping forth with bloodshot eyes, foaming dripping from the mouth, and a clear desire to feast on the bodies of those it comes across. Bombus portray this wickedness with a hearty heaviness that has more of their current high anthemic value. If you’re not sold on what Bombus are doing with this record now, you’re not going to be at all.

That’s because the latter part of the record doesn’t change the formula in the slightest. Leave and Let Die, Carmina, Lo and Behold, and Alone all offer varying degrees of hard rocking groove, energy filled rhythms, thick melodies, big choruses, some weirdness, and so much more. The bar they had already set high, rising more and more. If you loved the first half of the record, then you’ll be very satisfied by what the second half offers.

Based off the overall quality of this album, I think it’s fair to say that the Bombus experimentation has paid off.

Bombus – Your Blood Track Listing:

1. Killer
2. The One
3. No Rules
4. Take You Down
5. Your Blood
6. The Beast
7. Leave And Let Die
8. Carmina
9. Lo And Behold
10. Alone

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