Tim Williams (Vocals)
Mike Kennedy (Guitar)
Nick Rowe (Guitar)
Kyle Sanders (Bass)
Chris Hamilton (Drums)
I’ve been listening to Bloodsimple’s debut album A Cruel World since its release, and although I’ve liked it since the first listen, I now have a new found respect for the band and hear it in a completely different way. The album is powerful and heart wrenching, but Bloodsimple live is like a ton of bricks on your soul. They are what a band should be; powerful live, with the album just complementing that intensity, not like so many others that have a great sounding disk but disappoints when hitting the stage.
Tim Williams and Mike Kennedy, founders of acclaimed underground metal-core band Vision of Disorder, work brilliantly together on stage. The most impressive point of the show for me was the harmonies hit by the two. It raised their forceful energy level ten fold, almost giving me chills more than once. That alongside Tim’s gnarled growls and fisted screams made the vocal side of the show far superior than your average heavy band.
Drummer Chris Hamilton, former member of Downset, an old favorite of mine, slammed down hard with fluid beats that were so powerful it made me tired just watching him. His chops weren’t the most complicated, but he’s got a great, hard-hitting style was a blast to watch. Nick Rowe, a classically trained musician with more than a decade of jazz schooling meshed flawlessly with Mike Kennedy’s guitar style. Along with his formal training, his rock roots make him an invaluable member of the band.
The moral of my rambling is simply that Bloodsimple has come onto the scene with a point to prove, and they are doing it hands down. So much in fact that A Cruel World was the first release on Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray’s division of Warner Brothers, Bullygoat Records. Since all of the members have a professional musician background, I believe their intensity alone would push them to the top.
On their website, Kennedy says, “Bloodsimple is inspired by musical freedom.” After seeing them live, I know these guys have the freedom to go where their passion belongs.
