<IMG SRC=http://www.hmas.org/reviews/2007/blindedcolony_bedtime.jpg ALIGN=RIGHT>Official Blinded Colony Webpage
Label: Pivotal Rockordings
Rating: 9/10

Tracklisting
1 – My Halo
2 – Bedtime Prayers
3 – Once Bitten, Twice Shy
4 – Need
5 – Revelation, Now!
6 – 21st Century Holocaust
7 – Aarons Sons
8 – In Here
9 – Heart

Blinded Colony are a band that some of you may not know much about. Many of you might not even be aware of their existence. Listen up, because that is about to change. If you’ve listened to them before, you know what I’m talking about. If your answer is no, then you’re missing out on one of the most promising bands going. Nobody wants to miss the boat, do they? I didn’t think so.

Being a huge fan of melodic death metal, I openly admit that the genre has gotten stale to a degree. A lot of the heavy hitters of the genre aren’t churning out masterpieces as they used to, not to mention the countless In Flames clones out there. Enter Blinded Colony. Their 2003 debut “Divine” came out of nowhere. A friend of mine recommended them, and this friend is always on the money with recommendations. So of course I checked them out right away. “Divine” scratched me right where I itched – over and over. It was such a fresh approach to the genre. This is the kind of music that I’ve been missing so sorely. When I heard that the band was releasing their second album, I was ecstatic, but reserved. So many times I’ve been disappointed by a band’s second effort, so I was cautiously optimistic. Let me tell you this; “Bedtime Prayers” is absolutely phenomenal and should be added to your collection immediately.

The album begins with the blistering pace of “My Halo.” Excellent drum work and the thrashy rhythm guitars make this song fly, and it never lets up. All in all, a good start to the album. The title track is next, and the word that describes this song for me is ferocity. This is a song that I really feel and it has a “we mean business” attitude to it. That’s something that’s bothered me about this genre in the last few years. With a few notable exceptions, some bands seem to have lost their fervor and aggressiveness. The genre was built upon this – along with the melody of course – but is something that melodic death metal has been missing for far too long. Thankfully, Blinded Colony exists and is helping to fill this void. The third track, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” gives a very modern feel to the album, but doesn’t beat it to death. The layered vocals on this song really make it stand out, as well as the guitar harmonies. There’s a lot going on, but it’s not too much and comes together without fail. Another standout song is “Aarons Sons.” The keyboards on this particular track give it a Soilwork-ish sound that reminds of the “A Predator’s Portrait” era. Of course, this song has Blinded Colony’s own unique twist, and it feels like a real advancement of the genre that has to be noticed. “Heart” closes out the album, and in a good fashion. The melodic qualities of this song are as solid as the band has to offer in this release. The transitions between melodic passages and heavy assaults are streamlined well, which gives “Heart” immense flow.

My only frustration with this album is in length. Clocking in at a little under 36 minutes with nine songs, “Bedtime Prayers” leaves you wanting more. But, that can work in the album’s favor as well, so it’s all a matter of perspective. That’s about the only quip that I have with this release. Musically, this album slaughters a large dose of what’s out there, and it definitely earns Blinded Colony some more stripes.

Many bands in this type of music have dropped the ball and have hurt themselves in the process. Blinded Colony is the band that picks up that ball running, and at this pace, I don’t see them dropping it any time soon. Now, your job is to go out and grab this disc and hear for yourself what nobody should be missing.

- Dan Barkasi