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As I sit here and listen to Bloodbound's Tabula Rasa for the 4th time in the last week I am finally "getting it." These guys play Heavy Metal. Not Power. Not Progressive. Not Black. Not Doom. Just Heavy Metal. And the gods of Heavy Metal looked down upon their creation and spoke, saying "it is good."

There is nothing here to dislike: crunchy guitars, riff after riff, room-shaking bass, screaming leads and the voice of Urban Breed, which is perfectly suited to the music. Tracks like "Sweet Dreams of Madness" and "Take One" just beg to be heard live where their polished heaviness can wash over the listener in a torrent of pure force. Even the "ballad" "Night Touches You" rocks harder than half the metal out there. Some tracks are better than others ("Dominion 5" comes to mind as one of the "weaker" songs) but there really isn't any filler. This is a solid release from start to finish. If there is a downside, it's that Tabula Rasa can get a little monotonous after a while (to my ears, anyway.)

If you like your Metal of the Heavy, US-tinged style (Bloodbound remind me of Silent Company-era Black Majesty or Pharaoh in style, if not sound) then Tabula Rasa is not to be missed.