From Denmark, Bloody Dice have seemingly decided to take things up a notch for this record.
Firstly, original drummer Peter Larsen is back, and so is a sound that’s a little more raw. But it would be fair to say that 2 also has a legend involved.
Flemming Rasmussen—who almost defined thrash with his work with Metallica in the ’80s—is here, making this sound like a million dollars.
But none of this matters, of course, if the music is no good—and that’s not the case here. The start of “Cry For War”—all bass groove and confidence—is arena rock for 2025. But it’s arena rock with a social conscience; it looks at the world and doesn’t like what it sees.
The same is true of “Maze”, which takes aim at the “Department of Bureaucratic Bullshit and Social Indifference”, but these are also superb modern rock songs.
“Break the Cycle” slows the pace and dials up both the blues and the menace.
It also needs saying that singer Dagfinn Joensen and guitarist Nickie Jensen are perfect for this.
That applies to the chugging hard rock of “The Bitch Is Crazy”—the type of thing the 14-year-old me was listening to in 1989 and still loves more than he should.
“Madness” is another that has that vibe—and a proper ’80s solo—but talks about mental health issues candidly. And maybe that’s the thing: strip away the layers and this is so much more.
The tough “Back to Hell” has a kind of Motörhead aggression, but despairs. Even the swaggering ones like “Unspoken” implore you to “fight for what is right”.
“Struggling to Breathe” almost demands you get fists in the air as it menaces, but the hooks—like everywhere on this brilliant record—shine.
The slide guitar of “Don’t Know Where We’re Going” initially seems like it might take things in a southern rock direction, but the vocals are more Soundgarden as it bemoans media manipulation.
“Face the Truth” hasn’t got any happy endings either, and you’d best heed its call to “open your eyes”.
2 is an album that everyone involved clearly wants to succeed. It deserves to. Bloody Dice have rolled a real double six, and there’s no reason to think you won’t be hearing a lot more from them in the future. Which, 20 years ago, is exactly what you might have thought about Volbeat. Just saying.
Rating: 8/10
