Blood Feast - Infinite Evolution

Angry Metal Guy

For every Metallica or Slayer, there are thousands of good bands that never made it nearly as big. Blood Feast are one of those bands. Formed in the thrash metal heyday of the mid-1980s, these New Jersey natives came out swinging with their 1987 debut, Kill for Pleasure. Showcasing a dirty and unrefined take on thrash, that album earned some underground acclaim with its manic vocals, primitive riffing, and pugnacious attitude. But greater success was not to be. After guitarist Adam Tranquilli departed in 1988, the remaining members released Chopping Block Blues, a stranger and altogether less compelling affair, before calling it quits in 1991. The group would reunite and play some shows over the years, but nothing really lasted until Adam returned and formed the current iteration of the band, ultimately resulting in 2017’s The Future State of Wicked. While I liked that album, I agree with Eldritch Elitist that the crazed vocals got a bit tiring. Yet the times have changed. Having parted ways with the previous vocalist and overcome some pandemic-related delays, Adam and his crew of Garden State miscreants are finally back with the band’s fourth album, Infinite Evolution.

One of things I’ve always liked about Blood Feast is how their unassuming and workingman approach to thrash manages to stay firmly entrenched in the genre without sounding like any one band in particular. That remains the case on Infinite Evolution. As with their last album, this record features all the crunchy riffing and headstrong drumming you’d expect from a group like this, with plenty of twisted tremolos for good measure. “Of Hell” is a scorching assault that shows just how well it all works, with frantic riffs that are sure to get your head nodding and gang shouts that are sure to get your fist pumping.

True to its name, however, this record is a bit of an evolution for Blood Feast. With the vocalist position vacant, Adam himself has stepped up to the mic, performing the vocals whilst keeping guitar in hand. Yet while the previous vocalist had a wild and unhinged style, Adam hollers in a more understated way that reminds me of Jeff Becerra’s performance on the last Possessed album. He’s less intense than his predecessors, but his approach benefits the album by letting the music breathe. This turns out to be particularly important here given the more complex compositions that appear after the first few songs. “Eye of Glass,” for instance, is practically progressive thrash metal, complete with oodles of stringy riffing, a nearly eight-minute runtime, and even some robotic vocals that sound like something from Cynic’s Focus. Similarly, “Outbreak” features plump basslines that play call-and-response with the vocals during the song’s chorus, while “The Preacher” finds success in building up from wonky melodies to more intense ideas.

The biggest downside to Infinite Evolution is that songs of this caliber aren’t spread evenly throughout. This record is sequenced strangely, with the songs getting progressively better as the album goes. First proper track “Ravaging the Loins of Mary” features a couple mean riffs and plenty of ripping solos, but the song never seems to find its footing. The following track, “Never Will I Die,” pounds forward with more conviction but still isn’t as good as later songs. Meanwhile, the closing track, “The Chosen,” might be my favorite song here, with wild ideas that remind me of Atheist and a slick little melodic riff that propels everything forward. Throughout the record, Adam and fellow guitarist CJ Scioscia are the highlight of the show. Plenty of slick and shredding leads are crammed into these tracks, and the riffs offer more than enough variety to keep things engaging throughout these forty-one minutes. The production is modern but not overly polished and gives the bass guitar room to shine.

You have to hand it to a band like Blood Feast. Though they started decades ago and have never made it big, they still keep grinding and, as this album shows, are more than willing to try new things. Even with a few minor issues, Infinite Evolution is a fun and lively listen that I think will please new and old fans alike.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Websites: blood-feast.bandcamp.com | bloodfeastlegions.com | facebook.com/bloodfeastlegions
Releases Worldwide: July 12th, 2024

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