It has to be said that Old Blood, the upcoming second album from Cold Blue Mountain, is quite the intriguing listen. Although it doesn’t quite grab you straight away, as there isn’t a big or exciting beginning to the album, the more you listen to it, the more it grows on you. Quite simply, it’s almost like Cold Blue Mountain are taking you on a mini adventure with this release, journeying with you as the five tracks progress, and it makes for an all-round powerful offering.
The crushingly heavy and doomy sections juxtapose fantastically with the softer melodic moments, with Cold Blue Mountain proving that they’re versatile and unafraid of a bit of experimentation here and there. A particular highlight is Retreat, with a soft and melodic introduction with desperate-sounding harsh vocals atop, and then when the first heavier section kicks in, it hits you like a sledgehammer and it’s absolutely crushing in the best possible way.
Indeed, it’s difficult to focus on just one or two tracks because it does feel like Old Blood has been crafted to be taken as one single entity rather than five individual songs, progressing seamlessly from one to the next and it works well, although it is a little difficult to digest at times.
As a whole, Old Blood is a good piece, and it will be interesting to see the route Cold Blue Mountain decide to take with their next release.
7/10
Old Blood can be preordered from here.
