Bloodsimple is the latest incarnation of singer Tim Williams and guitarist Mike Kennedy of the seminal New York hardcore band Vision Of Disorder. On their second record, Red Harvest, the group, rounded out by bassist Kyle Sanders, guitarist Nick Rowe and new drummer Beven, achieves a fortified metal sound brimming with an organic passion that successfully pushes the limits of the ordinary or expected.
The record slices open with the spoken word intro from The Doors’ classic “The End,” and from then on, gushes with Kennedy’s distinctively complex time signatures and Sanders’ lucid rhythms with more suction power than quicksand. Williams’ vocal dexterity puts him in a league all his own. He told The Aquarian how he maintains his ability to expel both murderous snarls and thriving, full-bodied bellows while on the road. “You got to kind of stay out of trouble. I drink tons of beer and I do my thing, but the main thing out here is definitely rest. I do a decent amount of exercising throughout the day just to stay sane and not get too fucking bored, and again, stay away from the fucking bullshit that’s out here. Rest is the number one key.”
It’s no wonder that Chad Gray of Mudvayne and Hellyeah chose Bloodsimple who flawlessly blend the accessible and esoteric to be the first artists on his Warner Brothers imprint, Bullygoat Records. The five-piece are not trying to prove they are from Sweden and inundate with speed that somehow lacks purpose, or just grunt out lyrics whilst neglecting flair, prose and heart. They are clearly students of Pantera and Metallica, but with a contemporary witchery all their own. In the simplest of terms, Bloodsimple’s Red Harvest is a true juggernaut.
The record is phenomenal, but what about the visual side of things. Have you made a video yet?
We made one and we weren’t exactly thoroughly satisfied with the way it came out, so we are re-editing it and then we will see. We are about to shoot another one and send it to the Headbangers Ball. I think we are going to pick ‘Dark Helmet,’ which is a pretty aggressive song, and it has some depth to it. We started doing a video for it on our own with some b-line footage and things we have gotten off the internet and various tapes and things like that. Then we are going to add some live shit from Dallas and then we are going to edit it all together and put it out. You need to keep things in house these days. We have people in the band that are talented within the editing realm. We’ll do it on our own and that’s it. Especially in this day and age.
There are rumors of a DVD coming out as well.
We are working on the logistics of that. We have all of it edited and it’s a finished product. I don’t know when it is coming out. I think they [Warner Bros.] might release a couple of web episodes first, and then they are going to release it sometime next year.
What can people expect?
Shenanigans! We don’t really take ourselves too seriously, so all kinds of stuff like that.
