People say there’s no such thing as ‘true perfection,’ and while I begrudgingly agree with that concept, I do believe you can get pretty damn close!  Blood of the Prophet’s premiere full length CD, A Prayer For Vengeance, is proof enough of that idea.  Not only is it close to being perfect, it’s within ball licking range of that perfection.  I have attended many shows by Blood of the Prophet’s in that past, even back when they were still called Diesection, and they remain to this day, one of the few bands that I get really pumped for when ever I see them on stage.  I’ll go to a show perfectly fine and wake up the next morning in serious amounts pain from the waste up.  Now to some you, you may think that’s a horrid idea, but to me it just means I survived a “wicked awesome” show.  I’ve seen many local bands, from Toledo and Michigan.  I’ve seen many of those bands headline their own shows, but, and I say this in the most sincere tone, I have never seen a band from Toledo or Michigan, as good as Blood of the Prophets.  They are a phenomenon that is to be reckoned with; a plague that will sweep across the world of music taking the lives of the pretenders and fakers, sparing only the pure.  They are, in it’s truest, purest form, METAL personified. 

Now admittedly, I’m a friend of the band.  Two of the members I went to high school with.  But don’t mistake my praise for bias.  I’m the kind of guy, who if you were to ask me what I thought about something you created, I’d give you my honest opinion, despite our relationship.  I’m the kind of guy who If I saw you in a show, I’d go up to you afterward and say, “Hey man you’re fucking awesome, but the rest of your band sucks.”  With that said, Blood of the Prophet’s wasn’t always great.  I remember days when I’d sit in on their practices constantly looking at my watch asking myself, when is this shit gonna end?  They have worked long and hard to get to the point they’re at today.  They’ve been disciplined in having practice at set times and days, they would never take shit from anybody, and if one of their member’s was fucking up, he either shaped up or they dropped his ass.  It’s that kind of dedication and devotion that’s gotten Blood of the Prophet’s this far, and it’s that kind of dedication and devotion that’s going to take them to the top!

A Prayer For Vengeance is a phenomenal CD.  I’ve listened to all the through at least ten times now since I got it yesterday.  The band draws it’s influence from groups all across the musical spectrum, from the powerful technical riffs and extreme guttural vocals of Born of Osiris, to the fast-paced drum beats and bluesy guitar solos of Lamb of God.  But make no mistake; Blood of the Prophet’s isn’t merely copying their heroes’ works.  They are reshaping them into something raw and gritty, something that’s truly their own. 

The CD open’s up with its rather slow moving intro, So That Punishment May Come On This Generation, which pretty much outlines what the album is about and just when that ends it hits you with a karate chop to the throat with Manmade Apocalypse.  From that point on, it’s nothing but brutal and devastating fun.  Each song is filled with pessimistic themes relating to personal existence and humanity, and asks the questions, "where is our society heading, and is there any hope of change?"
 

The whole CD was pretty much produced in lead guitarist Paul Fuzinski’s room and I have to tell you, after listening to it, I honestly could not tell.  This album sounds like it was recorded in a studio; it doesn’t sound like that shit you and your buddies mixed in your parents’ garage. 

The vocals on the album are incredible.  Keith has truly mastered the art of extreme guttural vocals to the point where he can annunciate his words clearly and fluently.  Plus the addition of keyboardist Liz Croak’s clean vocals adds an extra layer of zest to the album that I find myself wanting more of, kinda like the marshmallows in Lucky Charms cereal, or crack; there’s no such thing as too much.

The drums were done by none other than Will Clark, who in my mind is clearly the next Joey Jordinson, or Corey Pierce.  He truly is the glue that holds the band together, and if you ever had a conversation with the guy about, well…ANYTHING, you’d understand why.  Probably the most musically knowledgeable member of the group, Will’s drum style is reminiscent of the drummers of the New Aged American Heavy Metal movement, but defineatly with more technical skill.  Will in my mind is destined to go down in history as one of the most profound and skilled drummers of this generation, and it shows on this album.

Now we move on to the guitar and bass lines.  Now I’ve known Chris and Paul since they first started playing guitar and seeing how much they’ve progressed since then makes my jaw drop.  I’ll be watching them on stage and I’ll barely be able to keep my eyes focused on their fingers half the time.  They play with such ferocious speed yet are able to make every note sound clean.  I can’t say they’re the best guitarists I’ve ever seen, but I can definitely say they are some of the most creative ranking up there with other favorite bands of mine, Black Sabbath and God Forbid.  And the bassist, Stew, though I can’t say I know a lot about bass, he’s definitely skilled enough to grab my attention when he performs, and some of his bass lines are sick as fuck!

There’s no need to do a Song rating chart with this review, every song on this CD is a 5 STAR song in my opinion.  Blood of the Prophets is proof that you don’t have to live by a stereotype in order to be great, but if you are genuine and truly dedicated you can create something both beautiful and devastating, and that’s what this album is.  Beautiful and Devastating!  By the end of the semester I’ll be doing a compilation of lists summing up my top favorite albums, songs and bands, and I can guarantee you, Blood of the Prophets will have a spot in each category. 

That’s it for my review guys.  

KEEP IT HEAVY! 

Peace!