After 20 years, Bleed from Within have reached their Zenith. The Glasgow firebrands are one of the hardest working acts in metal: playing shows globally with everyone from Megadeth to Slipknot, all while writing and regularly releasing monstrous, exhilarating songs. The upward journey reaches new heights on their seventh album, which contains the band’s heaviest, catchiest and most intrepid music to date.
Bleed – vocalist Scott Kennedy, guitarists Craig “Goonzi” Gowans and Steven Jones, drummer Ali Richardson and bassist Davie Provan – have long been Scottish metal’s most valued sons, constantly at the vanguard of muscular-sounding music. First albums Humanity (2009) and Empire (2010) made them cult figureheads in the deathcore scene, before Uprising (2013) broadened their palate with groove metal adrenaline and melodic death metal prowess. It also marked their major-label debut, catapulting them onto tours with heavy royalty.
In 2018, the band returned with the ferocious Era. Then, follow-ups Fracture (2020) and Shrine (2022) proved their greatest triumphs to date, intertwining Scott’s snarls with Steven’s majestic singing. The millions of streams gathered by such singles as ‘The End of All We Know’, ‘Into Nothing’ and ‘Levitate’ proved Bleed had become the next big thing. Now, on Zenith – announced ahead of career-affirming tours with Slipknot, Trivium and Bullet for My Valentine – the quintet are primed to leap into superstardom.
“We came up with the name Zenith because, if somebody or a band is described as being at their ‘zenith’, then they’re at their highest point so far,” says Ali. “We’re acknowledging everything that we’ve done to get to where we are now, but also recognising the space above us and how far we still have to go. There’s been so much growth, but we still have so much to experiment with.”
Across 11 songs, Zenith explores the parameters of what pulse-pounding metal can do. ‘Violent Nature’ is the most attention-demanding opener Bleed have everpenned, accelerating from a distorted intro to an onslaught of drums, blitzkrieg riffs and layer upon layer of screams. Single ‘In Place of Your Halo’ is a heavier counterpoint: its hulking groove leads up to a surprising bagpipe section, keeping the band in touch with their homeland as they affirm themselves on the world’s stage. From the bold string sections throughout the album to finale ‘Edge of Infinity’, which rises from acoustic guitars and singing to an almighty crescendo, Bleed’s horizons have never been broader. Yet, their songs have never felt so invigorating across the board either.
