Bedsore - Hypnagogic Hallucinations
Italy's Bedsore is the latest band in a growing group of contemporary Death Metal bands to expand the genre, while raising its quality. In recent years, Tomb Mold; Blood Incantation; Venom Prison and Horrendous have released brilliant albums, each with a slightly different twist on the sound. 2020 has continued to produce with Necrot; Lantern and Voidceremony. Bedsore’s Hypnagogic Hallucinations, released through 20 Buck Spin takes things to another dimension entirely.
Hypnagogic Hallucinations is not as mind bending as its title suggests, however Bedsore take you on a unique musical journey that ebbs and flows through Old School and Progressive Death Metal, and weaves in synth driven psychedelic flourishes and post rock. It is a journey that belies their given right, with it being their debut full length.
The Gate, Disclosure (Intro) is the opening track, and for the first few bars a pondering organ is the first instrument we hear. That is until the Bedsore ease in through a leading drum beat, and distorted doom laden chord with relaxed rumbling bass that transforms into a glorious and engrossed guitar lead. It is almost like a prelude to an introduction, which then becomes a harrowing and mournful guitar based instrumental, with an underbelly of synths. Already we know a few things about Bedsore:
• They are very good musicians;
• They can create a mood through clever songwriting, incorporating a range of dynamics and shifts in tone;
• Hypnagogic Hallucinations is going to be a hell of a journey.
A triumphant and sharp guitar opens The Gate, Closure (Sarcoptes Obitus), which is absorbed into a memorable riff, before the track explodes into more expected Death Metal territories. It is the shortest track on the album, however each little part feels like its own chapter, dissolving into the next, weaving a narrative that becomes increasingly evident is not entirely fiction, this is personal. This is not necessarily due to any recognisable lyrics, but through the frame in which the music is presented.
A blazing riff enters Deathgazer that claims territory on the album, like a flag in the sand. Bedsore can riff as much as they can lay down atmosphere and memorable leads. Pure death metal riffage grabs you with chains and hurtles you into the abyss. Bedsore work well with each other, yet provide plenty of time, and space for each little part section, groove or riff to be heard. They are a band that has thought these structures through with time and practice, plenty of collaboration, inspired improvisation, and more than enough anger to balance the dynamic shifts that regularly occur.
At this point, you are not even at the half way point, as as quick as it flies by, you have endured so much already, yet Bedsore are not finished as the centre point attests to. At The Mountains Of Madness is a track that has clearly evolved and expanded over time, having appeared on their 2018 demo. The track is one hell of a moving monster that pushes and pulls, occasionally throwing you a bone, whether it be a lead, or a progression or transition. The track almost comes to a halt at the half way point, before stepping confidently into a mid-career Opeth guitar progression. Nothing outstays its welcome on this debut.
The softer and gentler parts on Hypnagogic Hallucinations are not folk oriented, if anything they lean towards post rock more than anything. A Baroness gallop controls Cauliflower Growth sidestepping occasionally into horror sequences and adding evil key overtones. The track is like a rubber band being pulled and released, again and again, before slapping you in the eyeball. Disembowelment of the Souls is the first time on the album where the band seem to have revealed all their tricks, even though there is a slower chugging doom based approach that allows a hell of a bass assault to permeate through.
Brains on the Tarmac is a fitting way to end the album, it summarises everything, yet adds more breathtaking guitar work. There is time to breathe, not relax, but there is almost a time to reflect. Before a cheeky gun slinging, western influenced Morricone sequence proceeds to an onslaught of riffs and blast beats. It is another example of a band not willing to pigeon hole themselves. They want to surprise and to thrill, and to entertain. The album ends like the final act in a play. You wonder if they drop their guitars, and clench their fists above their heads.
While you could easily assemble a psychedelic set of descriptors on this, I think the main meeting points are horror, ripping death metal, brilliant guitar work, subtlety, space and imagination. Hypnagogic Hallucinations goes beyond a melting pot of influences, this is the type of music that you can be sure will mean a lot of things to a lot of people, and the good thing is that Bedsore are only just getting started.
