A cannibal tribe lands on shore, blades thrusting into the air matted with crimson and hair. Drums rise to a pulsing beat on the sand and set the tribesmen into a frenzy. Kicking sand and brushing flame, their dance summons from the heavens a rain of barbed wire in preparation for battle on this, Piano Island. The Blood Brothers are back with another vicious installation: Young Machetes.
Just when you think a band has peaked in their niche, they go and blow it all to hell and evolve once again. The Blood Brothers bring their effervescent personality to this invasion, this time infused with a little more calmness. More than before, breaks in the violence are allowed with organ, bass and drum interludes. Young Machetes has more of an underlying percussive feel to it than their previous offerings. It pulls nothing away from their maniacal delivery, but it gives cohesiveness to the album’s fifteen storytelling tracks.
I hate to use the term “theme album” here because Young Machetes stands as brilliant if it were just a bunch of songs placed in random order, but each song has to do with the timely subject of war and wartime. The album begins with the onslaught and ends with the bodies strewn about in a smoky calm. Guy Picciotto is one of the Generals who planned the attack this time, and the result is a focused, concerted cannibalistic assault on both on the unsuspecting and those of us who thought we knew what to finally expect. The Blood Brothers will eat you, and you'll savor every bite.
