Bloodsoaked (Mex) "Frost Image" (1993)

A short list of some great band old Mexican Death Metal

Una corta lista de las mas grandes bandas mexicanas del
old death metal mexicano

the best of mexican death metal/
lo mejor del death metal mexicano

band 27

http://narod.ru/disk/63859931001.58e6b546432b472d57d1ec2928c074a8/Bloodsoaked%20(Mex)%20-%20Frost%20Image%20(1993).rar.html

Bloodsoaked (Mex) "Frost Image" (1993) 320 KBPS

In the early '90s, a large majority of the notable death metal releases were coming from the U.S. and Europe. A few exceptions aside, these areas were thriving with bold and defining albums that would help mold the foundation from which death metal would grow. Mexico was not seen as an area of rich death metal lineage, as bands struggled in a time without a means to have material transferable to a wider audience. One of the bands that broke through that was Bloodsoaked, who released Frost Image, an album with much potential attached to it, in 1993.



By the time Frost Image saw the light of day, Bloodsoaked had already opened up for bands like Rotting Christ and Napalm Death. They had spent years working on material and getting their chemistry down, and Frost Image was the payoff of a long struggle. Most likely armed with a limited budget, the production is dim and powerless. It's up to the music to strong-arm its way into the minds of listeners who were overloaded with death metal from all angles. Frost Image is the prototypical ‘90s death metal album; short bites of ruthless fury about terminal illnesses and shattered dreams. They wisely avoided the childish Satanic jargon, sticking to more realistic and personal content. The music can be compared to Incantation or At The Gates, though without the tight musicianship. These songs get sloppy in a hurry, coming across like the band took the first or second take and moved on to the next one.






Though it isn’t a technical masterpiece, Frost Image contains some wicked tunes enhanced by brutal growls and dive-bomb guitar solos. These songs fit with the time period it was released during, however dated it may sound compared to the today’s metal. “Naked Flame” and “Confused Wires” are late favorites, tipping the quality scale in favor of the latter half of the album.



Having competent death metal wasn’t enough to get noticed. That’s where the synths come in. First appearing on the ominous intro to “Became Frost Image,” they are utilized in select places. Sometimes, they are appropriate (melodic instrumental “Sadness To Come”), and then other times feel cut-and-pasted in (“Frigid Presence”). Where they fit in the best is in the low-key ballad “Missing The Light,” which is built upon clean guitars and a solemn piano outro.



Bloodsoaked was a one-and-done affair, as the band disbanded after the release of Frost Image. Bassist/vocalist Jose Luis “Sangreth” Rodriguez started a new band, Sol Negro, which is still going strong as of early 2012. Frost Image was marred by subpar production values and uneven material, but the significance it had on the Mexican death metal community should not be overlooked.



It’s a tough album to find, as it was originally released only in cassette format, but it was re-issued a few years back on CD. It can’t be found on a mainstream site like Amazon, but an Internet search will reap benefits for the persistent metalhead. For bringing an extreme side of metal to an area without an established scene, Frost Image gets the nod for this week's Retro Recommendation.







Dan Marsicano