Blood Has Been Shed have been one of New England's most excruciatingly savage metalcore bands for years, yet somehow their otherworldly heaviness has been overlooked by the vast majority of the metal masses. With two triumphant masterpieces of metallic hostility under their belt, these Connecticut residents are looking to once again annihilate competition with "Spirals", an album of earth-shaking technical metalcore helmed by Howard Jones, an abrasive vocal chord technician that has recently gained notoriety since settling into the position of frontman for one of today's hottest metal groups, Killswitch Engage.

Seemingly picking up where "Novella Of Uriel" left off, "Spirals" is an album built on off-time signatures and polyrhythms, surging forth with a labyrinthine musical structure that rivals Meshuggah's best work in terms of sheer audacity. Howard Jones quite possibly unleashes his most varied vocal approach yet, as his ungodly death metal growls and higher pitched screams contrast perfectly, making for a tumultuous metal record that is as dynamic as it is heavy. Jones shows an uncanny presence behind the mic, allowing the mathematical musical equations on display to form around his prominent vocal abilities without getting lost in the apocalyptic design the band have intended to create. The brevity of "She Speaks To Me" is a non-stop aggressive snarl in the face of death itself, as it bludgeons one's ears with chunky, uncompromising brutality that is only enhanced by Jones' thick clean singing. This crisp, haunting delivery is fully realized on "Uatu", one of the album's most enigmatic cuts, and while Howard does have a tendency to vaguely acclimate himself to the vocal nuances of Mike Patton, this song seems to boast his incredibly diverse range on the mic. The off-kilter guitar trickery on "Call Waiting (John Doe Has The Upper Hand)" recalls classic Candiria, that is until the band explode into a visceral blast of sludgy, metallic energy, making this another phenomenal highlight from an album that rarely disappoints.

This is an opus that should quickly become the golden child of 2003 heavy metal, and yet it encapsulates so much more then just the traditional heavy metal aesthetic that has surged forth in recent years. The exquisite musical ingenuity displayed on the album's 14 tracks is almost mind-numbing, and even though it maintains the chugging crush common of tech metal, Jones' vocals elevate it above most of it's peers. One cannot deny the band's flawless execution of such complicated material, and their willingness to stand out by incorporating xylophone and tribal drum interludes (which segue unusually fluidly from song to song) is impressive. The album does falter briefly in it's latter half, as the songs seem more like half-finished experiments than full-fledged musical entities, yet even with these moments this is still an overwhelming effort. Considering Jones' involvement with Killswitch Engage, and the possibility that he could become consumed by their needs, it is a bit puzzling just how much longer Blood Has Been Shed can remain a serious commitment; But if "Spirals" is any inclination, one should expect nothing short of total devastation from this outfit for years to come.