PHLEBOTOMIZED

"Immense Intense Suspense" is the debut full-length studio album by Dutch death/doom metal act Phlebotomized. The album was released through Cyber Music in September 1994. It follows the release of the 1993 "Preach Eternal Gospels" EP and there has been one significant lineup change since the release of the EP as lead vocalist Barry Schuyer has been replaced by Dennis Geestman. Phlebotomized are therefore still a septet including a keyboard player and a violinist in addition to two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and a lead vocalist.

Stylistically they are in the more death metal oriented and brutal end of the death/doom metal scale. They often play faster parts too, and this is by no means your regular My Dying Bride/Paradise Lost clone, although the slow paced sections featuring violin point in the direction of the former. Phlebotomized are a pretty adventurous and creative act and it wouldn´t be wrong to call their music progressive in nature. The songs feature many shifts in pace and a lot of different sections. The atmosphere is gloomy and mournful all the way though. This is not a happy release. It´s dark, grim, and brutal, and it´s only the keyboards and the violin layered sections, which point in another direction and which provide the band´s music with an extra epic dimension. That Phlebotomized happen to write and play some really effectul, brutal, and heavy old school death metal too is just one part of their sound which works well.

The change on the lead vocalist spot doesn´t affect Phlebotomized´s sound much, as Geestman is just as convincing, powerful, and brutal a growling vocalist as Schuyer was. He even adds the occasional (and rare) clean vocal moment which is great for the variation of the album. The clean vocals are delivered in either a showgaze type vocal style or a goth rock ditto. No high pitched epic singing here, but more a subtle monotone/dreamy clean vocal performance, although closing track "Gone" hints at a slightly more regular melodic rock voice performance.

"Immense Intense Suspense" features a well sounding production job, which suits the material well. The keyboards are sometimes placed a little high in the mix and the clean vocals are placed pretty low, but other than that it´s a powerful, raw, and detailed sound production. Upon conclusion it´s one of the more unique sounding death/doom metal albums from the early- to mid-90s. Calling it progressive death/doom metal isn´t always true because of the brutal old school death metal sections and higher pace, but evaluated overall that´s probably still the best description of the content of "Immense Intense Suspense". A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

"Preach Eternal Gospels" is an EP release by Dutch death/doom metal act Phlebotomized. The EP was released through Malodorous Mangled Innards Records in the autumn of 1993. It´s the successor to the September 1992 "In Search of Tranquillity" EP. The "In Search of Tranquillity" EP didn´t feature any new material though as all material featured on the EP were culled from the March 1992 "Devoted To God" demo. So the material on "Preach Eternal Gospels" is the first new original compositions from Phlebotomized since the release of "Devoted To God". "Tragic Entanglement" and "Ataraxia" from "Devoted To God" have however been re-recorded and included here, so "Preach Eternal Gospels" actually only features three completely new tracks in "In Memory of Our Departured Ones (1914-1918)", "Mustardgas", and "Preach Eternal Gospels".

It´s Phlebotomized first professional studio recording and it means a lot as a listener to be able to hear their progressive inclined old school death/doom metal with better sounding production values than the ones found on their early demo recordings. This is a band with many interesting songwriting ideas and compostional details, which are now audible in the soundscape. In addition to heavy distorted guitar riffs and drumming, the music also features some gloomy/eerie sounding keyboards and a violinist has also been added to the ranks since the last release, which provides the band´s music with another layer. This would unfortunately be Barry Schuyer´s last release with Phlebotomized, because his ultra brutal deep growling vocals are both powerful and well performed.

If comparisons should be made to any contemporary artists I´d mention Pan.Thy.Monium as the band who Phlebotomized have most in common with. The unpreditability of the song structures, the use of gloomy/eerie sounding keyboards, and the adventurous approach to songwriting. This is a band who can go from sounding like a lot of other old school death metal artists from the early 90s (with both heavy mid-paced sections and faster-paced blasting), to playing melancholic/mournful doom/death metal parts, to playing some pretty interesting progressive ideas. All within the same song. Definitely worth a listen this one. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

"In Search of Tranquillity" is an EP release by Dutch death/doom metal act Phlebotomized. The EP was released through Malodorous Mangled Innards Records in September 1992. It follows the release of the March 1992 "Devoted To God" demo and the three tracks on the EP are actually culled directly from the demo. It´s the three opening tracks from the demo. So there´s nothing new on this EP if you already own the demo.

Stylistically this is death/doom metal with faster death metal parts too (even blasting) and a brutal growling vocalist. What makes Phlebotomized stand out from the crowd is their use of gloomy/eerie sounding keyboards which provide their music with something a bit different from other contemporary artists. This is still pretty grim and brutal old school death metal though, but just with the occasionally added slightly progressive edge because of the addition of keyboards.

"In Search of Tranquillity" is an atmospheric instrumental intro track while both "Subtle Disbalanced Liquidity" and "Desecration of Alleged Christian History" are more regular death/doom metal tracks. The quality of the material is decent and these early recordings from Phlebotomized are certainly promising and also well performed and relatively well produced (considering that these recordings are culled from a demo). A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

"Devoted To God" is the second demo recording by Dutch death/doom metal act Phlebotomized. The demo was independently released in March 1992. It´s the follow-up release to the July 1991 "Live" demo. Three of the songs from the live demo have been re-recorded and included here ("Subtle Disbalanced Liquidity", "Devoted to God", and "Tragic Entanglement"). "Devoted To God" was an immensely succesful demo release for Phlebotomized, who after selling 1.000 copies of the demo tape, licensed the demo to Polish label Carnage Records, who then manufactured another 2.000 copies and sold them. Just think about it...3.000 copies of a demo tape.

The potential which was heard on the "Live" demo is fully realized here. The studio sound production is still raw and brutal, but you can hear all instruments and vocals in the mix. Stylistically the material is death/doom metal with gloomy/eerie sounding keyboards. There are still faster-paced death metal parts (even blasting) here, so their death metal/grindcore past under the Bacterial Disease monicker hasn´t been completely forgotten. The vocals are brutal death metal growling.

The demo features a couple of shorter intro/outro/breather tracks, so it´s only four out of the seven tracks featured on the 28:10 minutes long demo, which are "regular" death/doom metal songs. The tracks are relatively unconventionally structured and the addition of keyboards provide Phlebotomized with a progressive touch. They certainly ensure that "Devoted To God" isn´t like listening to any other death metal demo from that time. So this is definitely an interesting and quite adventurous death/doom metal release from the early 90s and it´s well worth investigating. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

"Live" is the first demo recording by Dutch death/doom metal act Phlebotomized. The demo was independently released in July 1991. It was recorded live on July 4th, 1991 at Hardrock Party in Demi-Sec, Spijkenisse, The Netherlands. The demo was not widely distributed but predominantly given away by the band members to friends and at live shows.

It´s a bit unusual for a band to release a live demo as their first release (mostly debut demos from that time were rehearsal demos or relatively lo-fi 4-track tape recorder demos). Phlebotomized have however managed to produce a decent sounding live demo which in terms of production values are a least on par with most contemporary rehearsal demos. It´s certainly both lo-fi, murky, and noisy, but you still get a good idea of what Phlebotomized are about. Although Phlebotomized are a bit more death metal oriented they tab into a lot of the same stylistic elements as their fellow contemporary countrymen in The Gathering. Doomy death metal with keyboards. Where The Gathering present a romantic and epic take on the genre Phlebotomized are a bit more brutal and gritty though. Early Paradise Lost is arguably a big influence on the sound here.

"Live" features four tracks and a total playing time of 27:24 minutes, so there is both quantity and time to get to know Phlebotomized. Although the band feature a permanent keyboard player in the lineup, the keyboards aren´t a dominant feature of Phlebotomized sound. at least not at this point, but when they are heard in the mix they add the right gloomy/eerie atmosphere to the music. Lead vocalist Barry Schuyer has a brutal growling vocal style and in terms of musicianship the band are solid. Nothing outstanding and nothing out of the ordinary for the time, but they are a well playing band. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

The first album from this band, although I would regard Preach Eternal Gospel as their debut album. Phlebotomized is doing very heavy doom metal bordering to death metal. Well, on this album at least. Progressive ? The last couple of songs are pretty progressive if I am kind. The rest of the album is as heavy as ten thousand tonnes of steel. The tempo is slooooow, but not funeral doom slow. Their use of violin and their general lack of tempo reminds me about the debut album by My Dying Bride. This album is down that alley. Add some Orphaned Land (Sahara) and we are pretty close.

Quality wise, the last two songs are good. The rest is pretty forgetable. I was a fan of this band ten-fifteen years ago. But times has moved on and left this album as a curiosity. But if heavy doom metal with death metal vocals is anyone's cup of tea here, this album is recommended. But it is not for me, I am afraid.

2 stars

So, this is my first review for an album. I hope you will enjo it. This review comes up just through this not yet rated, but so great composed an produced album.

THE ALBUM Skycontact is a real masterpiece of Prog Music. A very solid produced and even better composed Album. It consist of 8 really great Tracks mostly build up through nice drifting Metal and Melodic Metal (like Dream Theater, or Threshold), but it also contains lot of relaxed parts filled with interressting Pychedelic/Space sounds and 70/80s Symphonic Prog influences (like Camel or King Crimson). The only thing i am missing on this album is a great deep virtuos Part or some of them. So the Album should't get 5 Stars, better 4,5 - 4,9, but 4 are absoluty not enough :-) THE FIRST SONG is really impressive, complety without lyrics, just good 80s sound Prog Rock/Metal with a touch of Pop infulences build up through nice drifting Beats, which are all perfectly ordered. THE SOND SONG starts with much more speed and more tech parts also growl vocals are (minimal added), but as fast as it comes the Song changes through very nice Prog crossings into more Rock feeling readded with the styles of the beginning, in this Song the Album get its first calm spychedleic moments faded perfectly through the rest. THE THIRD SONG have a big touch of psychedelic and 70/80s Soundareas added with clean Lyrics but the Metal isn't missing, all seperated very artistic (like the whole album over) The Fourth Song starts with a calm clean bass intro cello and violin flow over to 80s Pop drums and melodica broken and rise through psycheldic Metal like Porcupine Tree. So these are the first Half of the 8 Songs. The rest of the Album doesn't changes its high Grade of good composed Music, but sometimes its getting a bit more technical and have some deeper clean and/or clean Parts. But if your interrest is now awaken, you should't wait to discover the Rest of this high recommended Album.

(Music I like) Prog Bands (refer to this Album) Dream Theater, Threshold, Porcupine Tree Arcturus, Orphaned Land, Queensryche, Atheist, Sadus - and also non Metal/Tech Artist like Camel, Rush, King Crimson or Grobschnitt (Just a few) Guess it's sometimes good to know.

This band is included in PA ? That's a surprise because I remember they as a dark death/ doom metal band. I actually distributed their albums in Norway. I thought I had lost their albums, but I found a copy among the rest of my metal albums.

This album is probably best described as a darker version of Paradise Lost's debut album Lost Paradise. This album was actually one of the first ever albums blending death, grind and very dark doom. The sound is pretty bad, but the feeling of total darkness is there. The vocals is death growls. The guitars are detuned. The pace varies between fast and slow. The songs are not too bad. But they all fall well short of today's standards and the developments in this scene has left this album behind. I think this album is pretty impossible to find anywhere. But if you like this kind of music, maybe this is an album worth checking out. It was a nice return to the old days, but this is sadly not something I would listen to anymore.

2 stars