Comment From: Ule (Mexican Bloodsoaked Fan!!!)
Hi Peter: I receive my Bloodsoaked pack and this is amazing, BRUTAL DEATH METAL all the way, Crushing guitar riffs, bloody vocals and lyrics, you take the essence of old school DEATH METAL, and the result is "Brutally Butchered", extreme great job!. Finally only I can say PETER: "DEATH METAL BLOOD RUNS IN YOUR VEINS".!
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Comment From: Big Ron (Great fan from Virginia!!!)
HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT DUDE! I love this fuckin' album! (yes I'm old school and still call them albums) I have heard the 5 posted on your page, but it's not the same as listening to the CD. It blew me away! I love the mix of old school Florida-esque death metal with the thrashyness and the occasional breakdown. You have made a masterpiece my friend!
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Comment From: Jørgen Nilssen (Bloodsoaked fan from Norway)
Hey man! I got your cd in the mail today! It fuckin' slays!!! Sounds brutal as hell! A big hailz from Norway!
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Comment From: Alberto (Killer Bloodsoaked fan from Canada!!!)
I finally got my CD and I love it! It's pretty insane that you did all that on your own, it's sounds fucking amazing and really brutal!! You did a fantastic job! Again, excellent CD and thanks!
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Comment From: Jerry (Bloodsoaked fan and Killer dude!!!)
I was waiting on what seemed like forever for this album to come out. Pete stood true and he told me when it came out and i bought this album a week after it's release from him. And i honestly have to say it was the best sounding "technical Death Metal" album that i have bought in the past two years. And i am not just saying that to suck up! This is a truely amazing album!!
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Comment From: Andy (Bloodsoaked fan that bought CD)
A great brutal album for 2006 - great song structures, and great drum work outs - a must for all brutal death metal fans!
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Comment From: Joe (cool dude who bought the CD)
yo bro Im joe , I just got your cd , I think you sent it to a Kathy xxxxxxx. I have all orders go threw my mom. But i just had to say man your cd is one of the best I own man LIKE HOLY SHIT I cant believe just you alone made that. Thats crazy.
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Comment From: Joey (cool dude who bought the CD)
Finally, I got my copy today! Dude, the music is INSANE!!!!
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Comment From: Ron Odom (another cool dude who bought the CD)
Just wanted to get back to you about the CD. I loved it. The mixture of the old school style and new school brutality and sickness was perfect and welcomed especially in an age where most brutal death metal bands want to make their vocals so brutal you can't even make out a single letter of any word in the lyrics. Frankly, alot of brutal bands sound the same with little variation. The artwork is simply fantastic. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy some newer brutal death metal bands but to see someone get back to the old school in this way is perfection.The production is phenominal and the CD looks professional, as in put out by any record label. Hard to believe there is only one man and no drummer. The only negative I found was the inner booklet, I wish there was more to it, lyrics, etc.. All in all I think you have done an excellent job with this release and I think you deserve to be signed to a label but you are dong just fine on your own. Can't wait for the next release to see what you come up with.This definately ranks up there as one of my favorite brutal death metal releases.
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Comment From: Mike (Bloodsoaked fan from Florida)
Just got the cd in the mail. It's fucking awesome. The artwork and layout looks better than alot of major label releases I have seen lately. I can't wait to destroy my neighbors with its brutality as I drive thru the neighborhood.
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Review From: SOD Magazine
When it comes to Death Metal, my personal preference has always been the old-school sound, with a punishing rhythm section, guitars that have technical flair but emphasize mood, and bowel-laden vocals. Well, North Carolina's Bloodsoaked is definitely the shit. Mastermind Peter Hasslebrack handles all the instruments. This dude knows something about Death Metal percussion, as this is the best programming I've heard in quite a while. The bass is nice and fuzzy, but it's the guitars that are the centerpiece- - they have that droning quality that resonates through bone. Vocals are low but relatively clear - they come from the back of the throat, so there is some distortion. Collectively, Brutally Butchered is brutal, heavy, and technical enough to impress those with critical ears. Lyrically, the traditional Death Metal topics are on display, such as female mutilation and sex ("Sexual Mutilation"), ultraviolence ("Suffocating the Unborn"), and gore ("Grinding Your Guts"). I guarantee you'll find yourself headbanging while listening to Brutally Butchered. 9 Skulls
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Review From: Metal Revolution Webzine
Brutally Butchered is a debut nine track long album from one man band/project called Bloodsoaked. Let it be said at the very beginning, this CD is filled with violence and aggression. Esp. the vocal parts are very insane, violent and harsh in a true old-school death metal style. The guitar riffs sound most death metal, but also with addition of typical black, thrash and even grind parts. Peter Hasselbrack, the only member, is responsible for all duties, playing drums, guitar, bass, and all vocals and writing all lyrics. It is really impressive and amazing. The production part is also almost perfect esp. having in mind this is one man band, doing all things by himself. The album kicks off with huge technical bang; a track entitled Killing You, maybe not so much death as thrash oriented song, but still one of my clear favourites. Throughout the whole album the thing I dig most is variation, not many brutal bands manages to create this nowadays. The results over all are very satisfying, so if youre into violent, honest and true old school death metal, and if youre a fan of Morbid Angel, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Vomitory, Suffocation or Broken Hope, this 30 minutes long disc is a must have for you.
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Review from: Noktorn (Noah D. Richards), metal-archives.com
A lot of preconceived notions fill ones head when you hear about a drum machine-driven brutal death metal band. I imagine a lot of people immediately think of Morticians absurdly fast grinding, Putrid Pile-style bree vocals, or the trillion bizarre, sloppy goregrind bands out there. Bloodsoaked is one of the few bands that is simply using the machine out of necessity rather than desire: the music here is pure oldschool brutal death, with no grind influence or impossibly fast drumming in sight.
The one-man project of Peter Hasslebrack, Bloodsoaked concentrates on purely oldschool brutal death metal. There are no breakdowns, no pig squeals, no arpeggios; simply classic brutal death in the style of the great legends of old such as Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation. The closest modern influence I can find is in Insidious Decrepancy, which even then is a stretch. The music here isnt as rhythmic as newschool death metal; instead, the riffs are almighty. Despite not being terribly original, its certainly refreshing in an age more concentrated with eye-roll inducing bass drops than talent. The music here is more speedy and tremolo-picked than slow and chugging; perfect for those of us who are looking for the zombie ressurection of oldschool DM.
Opening with Killing You, Bloodsoaked shows what its all about: sick, guttural death metal that doesnt sacrifice talent for extremity. The guitar playing here is surprisingly technical at times, but not overbearingly so: the more complex riffs always make sense and never seem to be there to prove something. Hasselbacks vocals are a very low, traditional growl, like a less ridiculous version of Mortician, which compliment the music nicely. The occasional double-tracking is used sparingly, and rightfully so: such a technique is getting very overused, and the discretion presented here makes its instances (such as on the title track) that much more powerful.
If theres one thing that would really turn people off of this album, its the general lack of originality. Bloodsoaked is obviously not breaking tremendous new ground with Brutally Butchered, but Im sure that Hasselback never wrote this album with the intention to do so. The whole purpose here is to make solid, enjoyable brutal death that will appeal to all fans of the subgenre. And honestly, when Im listening to a song like Grinding Your Guts and banging me head with the ending groove riff, who am I to complain about such a goal?
Brutally Butchered, while not mind-blowing, is a highly respectable entry into the brutal death scene. Tasteful, intelligent, and heavy as hell, I have no doubt that there are many who would be wise to give this LP a try.
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Review From: Guttural Sickness Webzine
Stop thinking about fancy intros, samples and other gimmicks as there is none! This is a Death Metal without compromises, with an alerted and fast rhythm. Throughout the 31 minutes of butchery, you dont get a chance to get bored because Peter (Shit yes! this is a one man band, drum machine brutality!) knows how to attract your attention. Even if this shit isnt an original musick, the sincerity of the band is to be respected. The guitar riffs go from old school, Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation style! I loved this shit because im a huge fan of both! The artwork is done by Tony Koehl, symbolizing perfectly the whole concept behind the album title. Bloodsoaked fuckin owns! I've got nothing more to add. Oh btw, He is now signed to Comatose music. Get this one! Grade: 7/10
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Review From: Cosmo Lee, stylusmagazine.com
The band name, album title, song titles ("Sexual Mutilation," "Self Mutilation," "Suffocating the Unborn"), cartoonish artwork, and dripping red font all point to one thing - homage to early Cannibal Corpse. However, on its debut, Bloodsoaked is frankly more proficient than Cannibal Corpse was at that stage. The band is one man, Peter Hasselbrack, who does guitars, drums, vocals, mixing, mastering, the whole shebang. It takes vision to pull off music like this single-handedly, and Hasselbrack does fine on all counts. The riffs are catchy, the drumming is precise, and the death growls are low yet intelligible - no cookie monster business here. Does the world really need another album with lyrics like, "Violently I smash your face / Brutally with my fist I sodomize / Now I stomp your c**t / After cutting of your breast"? And does Hasselbrack's mother know of this (she's the first person he thanks in the liner notes)? Existential questions aside, this is a tight, percussive, and brutal set of death metal. Currently, it's self-released, but Comatose Music has picked it up for proper release in February.
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Review From: Absolute Zero Media Webzine
So do you like your Death metal gutteral, Brutal and Blistering then Bloodsoaked is for you. This is for fans of labels like United Gutteral, Unique Leader and Forensick music. The drums are so fast at times there just like nightmarish click tracks gone wrong. Peters vocals are so low and gutteral they strongly remind me of Malevolent Creations. I think this project has alot in common in sound with the band Deeds of the Flesh. I sure if you a fan of this style you will worship every gut wrenching vocals. The very very heavily processed guitars are the real stand out on this release for me.
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Review From: demogoria.com
Who the fuck is this Peter Hasselbrack character? Jack of all trades? Fucking believe it.
It's brutal and respectable enough when a band has a sound this good. Old school death metal is hard to come by these days. The era of pig squealing vocals and lack of pure crunch are upon us, but the willingness to stick your cock back into the days of old Deicide, Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse says something about a band.
Not many bands make me say "Holy Shit" and hit the repeat button as soon as I am through a CD. Enough is enough I say. Not with Bloodsoaked though. They belt out a mixture of fast double bass hits, low tuned guitars and the ever-so-popular-yet-effective bass guitar without tone. And mother fuck, its an orgy of heavy. Vocals are all low growl style with a bit of gargle. The same thing you will hear in Suffocation or Cannibal Corpse.
While most of the songs aren't exactly headbang-able, the break-offs are, carrying a sense of consistency thoughout the tracks. Keep in mind, this is pump-you-up music, giving you enough energy to tear a pit apart. Yet, the complex guitars and amazing crunch puts a smile on your face.
Now, for the kicker. This is a one man band. So, who the fuck is this Peter Hasselbrack character? He's the vocals. He's the guitarist. He's the bassist. He writes the lyrics. And he fucking programs his drum machine (which does NOT sound like a drum machine, it's too good). The only thing he doesn't do is the artwork on his professionally released printed CD. The artwork is done by Tony Koehl, who has worked on Internal Suffering, Goratory, Beyond Fatal, Suffereign and Contorted covers, logos, and artwork. This CD can easily sit on a store shelf without a bit of doubt it was professional.
Horns go very high to Hasselbrack. Not only are his roots of metal in the right place, but his professional quality and professional attitute make him definately one of a kind. Bloodsoaked, my minions. Get it.
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Comment From: Andrew (Morbid Souls Music)
"I love the fuckin' oldschool, thrashing moments mixed with the breakdowns of more modern death metal - reminds me faintly of Fleshgrind mixed with old Florida death metal".
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Review From: Esoteric Ed of necrometal.com
I cant believe this brutal as fucking hell album came from a one man band everything sounds killer. Bloodsoaked has every element that I love about Death Metal brutal sound quality, brutal vocals, simple lyrics that get to the point, and last but not least professionalism as far as cd layout and logo goes. You wouldnt believe how many times we get a brutal bands demo or album and their shit looks like a 5 year old drew out the layout and came up with the logo design. Peter seems to really know his shit when it comes to making listenable Death Metal, he has plenty of great contacts as well so dont bash the guy for not having friends or some bullshit like that because one listen to this album and you will quickly see hes not putting out the typical one man show shit you see a lot these days this guy Peter doesnt really need a whole band this is just fine.
As for the sound Peters vocals remind of early Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Suffocation stuff I really dig the fact hes bringing back old school death metal without fucking up the sound integrity from the early days. Peters guitar playing is pretty decent as well pretty straight forward bass and guitar work for death metal but gets the job done well. Now for the drumming this is possible Peters best skills on this album because the programming is excellent, I have only ever heard a few bands that have pulled off having a drum machine sound so close to the real deal as Peter has done here.
Overall every death metal fan needs to at least check this guys project out because he is nothing to spit at this is some quality stuff.
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Review From: Jerry Stench of necrometal.com
Brutally Butchered, starts out with a huge techincal bang! with the track Killing You, this song is really thrash influenced from what i can tell by the crunchy guitar riffs. Then the second track on this album carries on the madness from the first track. The production on this album is truely amazing for a one man project. You would never guess that Bloodsoaked is a one man band from North Carolina.
Peter,does all of the vocals WITHOUT!! effects and all guitars and bass and drum programming which actually sounds like a real kit unlike most drum machine driven bands. This album is one of the best put together albums that i have heard all year. You can really tell by this album that this young man is here to stay in the death metal scene.
All of the album art work was done by Tonykoehl.com which also looks truely amazing.It fits the tunes perfectly. Brutal!!! The guitar riffs really sound some black metal and thrash and grind influenced. But this album is a must have for all of you techincal death metal fans out there!!
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Review From: Mike Lidia of unholycult.com
I hate NASCAR, but I love the idea of bootlegging moonshine. Other shit I like out of North Carolina is a fling I had with a Chapel Hill snob/hottie who liked asphyxiation and facials, Lust of Decay, and the underrated band, Debodified. Recently I got my grisly grips on a promo from a band from NC by the name of Bloodsoaked that have released a debut named Brutally Butchered. Drooling like a savage at a pig pickin I slapped this disc in my player for a surly ride.
Brutally Butchered blisters out of the starting gate in a bullhorn impaling frenzy that will make you duck under your crack-whore sisters skirt for gonorrhea protection. The most noticeable thing is the convoluted riffage that has straight razor incisiveness in strumming. The delivery is choppy, fast, and each ostinato seems created for no other intention except headbanging. Making the music more fun is that its catchy chromatic. The drums have been programmed astutely in that they provide exceptional backup without being rooted too much in blast beats, which seems to be the prevalent case with many bands without a drummer that seem to overcompensate in the rhythm section. Still, its no surprise that the drum style varies between fast and mid-paced for the reason that Bloodsoaked is an Old School Metal band that places emphasis on jet engine riffing. Probably my favorite aspect of Bloodsoaked is the bass play. The lower end reverberation provides a nice undercurrent below the guitar. It also has an undulating snowball effect to it that is both bouncy and crushing. Vocally the listener is treated to ugly flu phlegm gesticulations of cacophonously combative splendor that will leave you spitting mucus as an after effect.
Several contrasts for the Bloodsoaked sound on Brutally Butchered are apparent. The guitar riffage reminds me of a hybrid of Swamped In Gore era Broken Hope, folded into Malleus Maleficarum period Pestilence, with a hint of Putrid Pile. Actually, the straightforward style riffing belies a restrained technicality akin to Effigy of the Forgotten Suffocation that can also be heard in the bass and vocals. An overall vibe of sadism permeates the recordings production that is similar to what was found on the first 3 Deeds of Flesh CDs. Slathering your brains with the ferocity of a hollow point bullet are the vocals that come across with Glen Benton zeal meeting Vomitory nausea.
Sure I named off a few bands from whom Bloodsoaked sounds familiar, but I got to tell you ugly readers that this band has a novel sound of their own that is as groovy as it is brutal. Many are the clone bands in the Metal brigade, but Bloodsoaked is not among them. Get your pedophile grips on this gurgling bastard of an album soon; cause Brutally Butchered is a fine beginning for a band with much potential.
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Review From: Vomit The Soul Zine
Brutally Butchered is the first full length release from BLOODSOAKED, but also its very first recording. BLOODSOAKED is a one man band playing great Brutal Death Metal with a drum machine, and this 1st full length release is made of 8 tracks of nice musick reminding of great bands like DEICIDE and MALEVOLENT CREATION played with fast and some almost Thrash riffs, but with a very modern sound, mainly because of the drum machine, but also because of the sound of the production that could remind of releases from bands like DEEDS OF FLESH and so. Thats where BLOODSOAKED get its originality, playing Old Skull Death Metal with a nice obscure feeling, the whole release coming with a very modern touch in the sound, but also in the musick itself with some very very intense parts reminding of FLESHGRIND Destined for Defilement cult album!! As written before Brutally Butchered is the very first release from BLOODSOAKED and its rather hard to believe it because this 1st album already sound really professional!! Great 1st album, Im already waiting the following release!! BUY OR DIE!!!!
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Review From: Underground Review (I only quoted the good stuff)
Have you heard Suffocation? How about Deicide and Cannibal Corpse? Well if you have, dont be surprised to find complete worship of the three here with North Carolinas self-proclaimed one man killing machine (Peter Hasselbrack) called Bloodsoaked, on his new 8 song album Brutally Butchered.
From the straight-forward title and gore-soaked cover, my first impression was this is either ultra down-tuned GoreGrind or some of that slam grooving Death Metal ala Devourment, but in the end its neither as it takes a much more old skool styled approach with shredding riffs and traditional non-stop thrashing drumming while still retaining a deeper, somewhat technical side and a worship for the three aforesaid bands. The bass isnt very present, but the riffs kind of make up for the loss as they carry a sharp, but thick and blistering tone to them reminding me of Deicide. Vocally, Peter Hasselbrack is surprisingly affective, even if unoriginal. He borders on sounding a little too much like Frank Mullen, but overall he gets the job done and as a result becomes one of the standout moments of the disc.
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Review From: Zware Metalen Webzine
Who or what, does this band thinks He is? And yes I said HE!. This band is just 1 person Peter Hasselbrack. He is responsible for this fucking great album, he did every part of this thing from guitar to vocals and even the drum computer was done by him, with sensitive feelings he programmed that thing without "overdoing" it, like other bands always do.
The old school bands as Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus are sure fav bands of him. You can hear their influences in songs like Sexual Mutilation, Killing You or the title track Brutally Butchered. The old school riffs fly through the air, but Hasselbrack plays doomy parts as easy as well, like the song Grinding Your Guts.
The production of this all is real good and don't be surprised: he did that to. This man can be accused of having a good talent of instrument feeling, and writing cool riffs. The lyrics on this album sound as always more guttural and gore then you ever thought off haha. Even that creep in Canada, Willy Pickton would have been inspired by all of this nastyness, so Canada should be glad he will never hear this stuff.
The only problem will be playing live, or he has to find some great session musicians to come along with him. For the total package of this I really think that the Real old school death freak should by this album asap.
Hi Peter: I receive my Bloodsoaked pack and this is amazing, BRUTAL DEATH METAL all the way, Crushing guitar riffs, bloody vocals and lyrics, you take the essence of old school DEATH METAL, and the result is "Brutally Butchered", extreme great job!. Finally only I can say PETER: "DEATH METAL BLOOD RUNS IN YOUR VEINS".!
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Comment From: Big Ron (Great fan from Virginia!!!)
HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT DUDE! I love this fuckin' album! (yes I'm old school and still call them albums) I have heard the 5 posted on your page, but it's not the same as listening to the CD. It blew me away! I love the mix of old school Florida-esque death metal with the thrashyness and the occasional breakdown. You have made a masterpiece my friend!
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Comment From: Jørgen Nilssen (Bloodsoaked fan from Norway)
Hey man! I got your cd in the mail today! It fuckin' slays!!! Sounds brutal as hell! A big hailz from Norway!
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Comment From: Alberto (Killer Bloodsoaked fan from Canada!!!)
I finally got my CD and I love it! It's pretty insane that you did all that on your own, it's sounds fucking amazing and really brutal!! You did a fantastic job! Again, excellent CD and thanks!
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Comment From: Jerry (Bloodsoaked fan and Killer dude!!!)
I was waiting on what seemed like forever for this album to come out. Pete stood true and he told me when it came out and i bought this album a week after it's release from him. And i honestly have to say it was the best sounding "technical Death Metal" album that i have bought in the past two years. And i am not just saying that to suck up! This is a truely amazing album!!
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Comment From: Andy (Bloodsoaked fan that bought CD)
A great brutal album for 2006 - great song structures, and great drum work outs - a must for all brutal death metal fans!
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Comment From: Joe (cool dude who bought the CD)
yo bro Im joe , I just got your cd , I think you sent it to a Kathy xxxxxxx. I have all orders go threw my mom. But i just had to say man your cd is one of the best I own man LIKE HOLY SHIT I cant believe just you alone made that. Thats crazy.
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Comment From: Joey (cool dude who bought the CD)
Finally, I got my copy today! Dude, the music is INSANE!!!!
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Comment From: Ron Odom (another cool dude who bought the CD)
Just wanted to get back to you about the CD. I loved it. The mixture of the old school style and new school brutality and sickness was perfect and welcomed especially in an age where most brutal death metal bands want to make their vocals so brutal you can't even make out a single letter of any word in the lyrics. Frankly, alot of brutal bands sound the same with little variation. The artwork is simply fantastic. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy some newer brutal death metal bands but to see someone get back to the old school in this way is perfection.The production is phenominal and the CD looks professional, as in put out by any record label. Hard to believe there is only one man and no drummer. The only negative I found was the inner booklet, I wish there was more to it, lyrics, etc.. All in all I think you have done an excellent job with this release and I think you deserve to be signed to a label but you are dong just fine on your own. Can't wait for the next release to see what you come up with.This definately ranks up there as one of my favorite brutal death metal releases.
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Comment From: Mike (Bloodsoaked fan from Florida)
Just got the cd in the mail. It's fucking awesome. The artwork and layout looks better than alot of major label releases I have seen lately. I can't wait to destroy my neighbors with its brutality as I drive thru the neighborhood.
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Review From: SOD Magazine
When it comes to Death Metal, my personal preference has always been the old-school sound, with a punishing rhythm section, guitars that have technical flair but emphasize mood, and bowel-laden vocals. Well, North Carolina's Bloodsoaked is definitely the shit. Mastermind Peter Hasslebrack handles all the instruments. This dude knows something about Death Metal percussion, as this is the best programming I've heard in quite a while. The bass is nice and fuzzy, but it's the guitars that are the centerpiece- - they have that droning quality that resonates through bone. Vocals are low but relatively clear - they come from the back of the throat, so there is some distortion. Collectively, Brutally Butchered is brutal, heavy, and technical enough to impress those with critical ears. Lyrically, the traditional Death Metal topics are on display, such as female mutilation and sex ("Sexual Mutilation"), ultraviolence ("Suffocating the Unborn"), and gore ("Grinding Your Guts"). I guarantee you'll find yourself headbanging while listening to Brutally Butchered. 9 Skulls
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Review From: Metal Revolution Webzine
Brutally Butchered is a debut nine track long album from one man band/project called Bloodsoaked. Let it be said at the very beginning, this CD is filled with violence and aggression. Esp. the vocal parts are very insane, violent and harsh in a true old-school death metal style. The guitar riffs sound most death metal, but also with addition of typical black, thrash and even grind parts. Peter Hasselbrack, the only member, is responsible for all duties, playing drums, guitar, bass, and all vocals and writing all lyrics. It is really impressive and amazing. The production part is also almost perfect esp. having in mind this is one man band, doing all things by himself. The album kicks off with huge technical bang; a track entitled Killing You, maybe not so much death as thrash oriented song, but still one of my clear favourites. Throughout the whole album the thing I dig most is variation, not many brutal bands manages to create this nowadays. The results over all are very satisfying, so if youre into violent, honest and true old school death metal, and if youre a fan of Morbid Angel, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Vomitory, Suffocation or Broken Hope, this 30 minutes long disc is a must have for you.
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Review from: Noktorn (Noah D. Richards), metal-archives.com
A lot of preconceived notions fill ones head when you hear about a drum machine-driven brutal death metal band. I imagine a lot of people immediately think of Morticians absurdly fast grinding, Putrid Pile-style bree vocals, or the trillion bizarre, sloppy goregrind bands out there. Bloodsoaked is one of the few bands that is simply using the machine out of necessity rather than desire: the music here is pure oldschool brutal death, with no grind influence or impossibly fast drumming in sight.
The one-man project of Peter Hasslebrack, Bloodsoaked concentrates on purely oldschool brutal death metal. There are no breakdowns, no pig squeals, no arpeggios; simply classic brutal death in the style of the great legends of old such as Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation. The closest modern influence I can find is in Insidious Decrepancy, which even then is a stretch. The music here isnt as rhythmic as newschool death metal; instead, the riffs are almighty. Despite not being terribly original, its certainly refreshing in an age more concentrated with eye-roll inducing bass drops than talent. The music here is more speedy and tremolo-picked than slow and chugging; perfect for those of us who are looking for the zombie ressurection of oldschool DM.
Opening with Killing You, Bloodsoaked shows what its all about: sick, guttural death metal that doesnt sacrifice talent for extremity. The guitar playing here is surprisingly technical at times, but not overbearingly so: the more complex riffs always make sense and never seem to be there to prove something. Hasselbacks vocals are a very low, traditional growl, like a less ridiculous version of Mortician, which compliment the music nicely. The occasional double-tracking is used sparingly, and rightfully so: such a technique is getting very overused, and the discretion presented here makes its instances (such as on the title track) that much more powerful.
If theres one thing that would really turn people off of this album, its the general lack of originality. Bloodsoaked is obviously not breaking tremendous new ground with Brutally Butchered, but Im sure that Hasselback never wrote this album with the intention to do so. The whole purpose here is to make solid, enjoyable brutal death that will appeal to all fans of the subgenre. And honestly, when Im listening to a song like Grinding Your Guts and banging me head with the ending groove riff, who am I to complain about such a goal?
Brutally Butchered, while not mind-blowing, is a highly respectable entry into the brutal death scene. Tasteful, intelligent, and heavy as hell, I have no doubt that there are many who would be wise to give this LP a try.
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Review From: Guttural Sickness Webzine
Stop thinking about fancy intros, samples and other gimmicks as there is none! This is a Death Metal without compromises, with an alerted and fast rhythm. Throughout the 31 minutes of butchery, you dont get a chance to get bored because Peter (Shit yes! this is a one man band, drum machine brutality!) knows how to attract your attention. Even if this shit isnt an original musick, the sincerity of the band is to be respected. The guitar riffs go from old school, Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation style! I loved this shit because im a huge fan of both! The artwork is done by Tony Koehl, symbolizing perfectly the whole concept behind the album title. Bloodsoaked fuckin owns! I've got nothing more to add. Oh btw, He is now signed to Comatose music. Get this one! Grade: 7/10
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Review From: Cosmo Lee, stylusmagazine.com
The band name, album title, song titles ("Sexual Mutilation," "Self Mutilation," "Suffocating the Unborn"), cartoonish artwork, and dripping red font all point to one thing - homage to early Cannibal Corpse. However, on its debut, Bloodsoaked is frankly more proficient than Cannibal Corpse was at that stage. The band is one man, Peter Hasselbrack, who does guitars, drums, vocals, mixing, mastering, the whole shebang. It takes vision to pull off music like this single-handedly, and Hasselbrack does fine on all counts. The riffs are catchy, the drumming is precise, and the death growls are low yet intelligible - no cookie monster business here. Does the world really need another album with lyrics like, "Violently I smash your face / Brutally with my fist I sodomize / Now I stomp your c**t / After cutting of your breast"? And does Hasselbrack's mother know of this (she's the first person he thanks in the liner notes)? Existential questions aside, this is a tight, percussive, and brutal set of death metal. Currently, it's self-released, but Comatose Music has picked it up for proper release in February.
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Review From: Absolute Zero Media Webzine
So do you like your Death metal gutteral, Brutal and Blistering then Bloodsoaked is for you. This is for fans of labels like United Gutteral, Unique Leader and Forensick music. The drums are so fast at times there just like nightmarish click tracks gone wrong. Peters vocals are so low and gutteral they strongly remind me of Malevolent Creations. I think this project has alot in common in sound with the band Deeds of the Flesh. I sure if you a fan of this style you will worship every gut wrenching vocals. The very very heavily processed guitars are the real stand out on this release for me.
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Review From: demogoria.com
Who the fuck is this Peter Hasselbrack character? Jack of all trades? Fucking believe it.
It's brutal and respectable enough when a band has a sound this good. Old school death metal is hard to come by these days. The era of pig squealing vocals and lack of pure crunch are upon us, but the willingness to stick your cock back into the days of old Deicide, Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse says something about a band.
Not many bands make me say "Holy Shit" and hit the repeat button as soon as I am through a CD. Enough is enough I say. Not with Bloodsoaked though. They belt out a mixture of fast double bass hits, low tuned guitars and the ever-so-popular-yet-effective bass guitar without tone. And mother fuck, its an orgy of heavy. Vocals are all low growl style with a bit of gargle. The same thing you will hear in Suffocation or Cannibal Corpse.
While most of the songs aren't exactly headbang-able, the break-offs are, carrying a sense of consistency thoughout the tracks. Keep in mind, this is pump-you-up music, giving you enough energy to tear a pit apart. Yet, the complex guitars and amazing crunch puts a smile on your face.
Now, for the kicker. This is a one man band. So, who the fuck is this Peter Hasselbrack character? He's the vocals. He's the guitarist. He's the bassist. He writes the lyrics. And he fucking programs his drum machine (which does NOT sound like a drum machine, it's too good). The only thing he doesn't do is the artwork on his professionally released printed CD. The artwork is done by Tony Koehl, who has worked on Internal Suffering, Goratory, Beyond Fatal, Suffereign and Contorted covers, logos, and artwork. This CD can easily sit on a store shelf without a bit of doubt it was professional.
Horns go very high to Hasselbrack. Not only are his roots of metal in the right place, but his professional quality and professional attitute make him definately one of a kind. Bloodsoaked, my minions. Get it.
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Comment From: Andrew (Morbid Souls Music)
"I love the fuckin' oldschool, thrashing moments mixed with the breakdowns of more modern death metal - reminds me faintly of Fleshgrind mixed with old Florida death metal".
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Review From: Esoteric Ed of necrometal.com
I cant believe this brutal as fucking hell album came from a one man band everything sounds killer. Bloodsoaked has every element that I love about Death Metal brutal sound quality, brutal vocals, simple lyrics that get to the point, and last but not least professionalism as far as cd layout and logo goes. You wouldnt believe how many times we get a brutal bands demo or album and their shit looks like a 5 year old drew out the layout and came up with the logo design. Peter seems to really know his shit when it comes to making listenable Death Metal, he has plenty of great contacts as well so dont bash the guy for not having friends or some bullshit like that because one listen to this album and you will quickly see hes not putting out the typical one man show shit you see a lot these days this guy Peter doesnt really need a whole band this is just fine.
As for the sound Peters vocals remind of early Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Suffocation stuff I really dig the fact hes bringing back old school death metal without fucking up the sound integrity from the early days. Peters guitar playing is pretty decent as well pretty straight forward bass and guitar work for death metal but gets the job done well. Now for the drumming this is possible Peters best skills on this album because the programming is excellent, I have only ever heard a few bands that have pulled off having a drum machine sound so close to the real deal as Peter has done here.
Overall every death metal fan needs to at least check this guys project out because he is nothing to spit at this is some quality stuff.
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Review From: Jerry Stench of necrometal.com
Brutally Butchered, starts out with a huge techincal bang! with the track Killing You, this song is really thrash influenced from what i can tell by the crunchy guitar riffs. Then the second track on this album carries on the madness from the first track. The production on this album is truely amazing for a one man project. You would never guess that Bloodsoaked is a one man band from North Carolina.
Peter,does all of the vocals WITHOUT!! effects and all guitars and bass and drum programming which actually sounds like a real kit unlike most drum machine driven bands. This album is one of the best put together albums that i have heard all year. You can really tell by this album that this young man is here to stay in the death metal scene.
All of the album art work was done by Tonykoehl.com which also looks truely amazing.It fits the tunes perfectly. Brutal!!! The guitar riffs really sound some black metal and thrash and grind influenced. But this album is a must have for all of you techincal death metal fans out there!!
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Review From: Mike Lidia of unholycult.com
I hate NASCAR, but I love the idea of bootlegging moonshine. Other shit I like out of North Carolina is a fling I had with a Chapel Hill snob/hottie who liked asphyxiation and facials, Lust of Decay, and the underrated band, Debodified. Recently I got my grisly grips on a promo from a band from NC by the name of Bloodsoaked that have released a debut named Brutally Butchered. Drooling like a savage at a pig pickin I slapped this disc in my player for a surly ride.
Brutally Butchered blisters out of the starting gate in a bullhorn impaling frenzy that will make you duck under your crack-whore sisters skirt for gonorrhea protection. The most noticeable thing is the convoluted riffage that has straight razor incisiveness in strumming. The delivery is choppy, fast, and each ostinato seems created for no other intention except headbanging. Making the music more fun is that its catchy chromatic. The drums have been programmed astutely in that they provide exceptional backup without being rooted too much in blast beats, which seems to be the prevalent case with many bands without a drummer that seem to overcompensate in the rhythm section. Still, its no surprise that the drum style varies between fast and mid-paced for the reason that Bloodsoaked is an Old School Metal band that places emphasis on jet engine riffing. Probably my favorite aspect of Bloodsoaked is the bass play. The lower end reverberation provides a nice undercurrent below the guitar. It also has an undulating snowball effect to it that is both bouncy and crushing. Vocally the listener is treated to ugly flu phlegm gesticulations of cacophonously combative splendor that will leave you spitting mucus as an after effect.
Several contrasts for the Bloodsoaked sound on Brutally Butchered are apparent. The guitar riffage reminds me of a hybrid of Swamped In Gore era Broken Hope, folded into Malleus Maleficarum period Pestilence, with a hint of Putrid Pile. Actually, the straightforward style riffing belies a restrained technicality akin to Effigy of the Forgotten Suffocation that can also be heard in the bass and vocals. An overall vibe of sadism permeates the recordings production that is similar to what was found on the first 3 Deeds of Flesh CDs. Slathering your brains with the ferocity of a hollow point bullet are the vocals that come across with Glen Benton zeal meeting Vomitory nausea.
Sure I named off a few bands from whom Bloodsoaked sounds familiar, but I got to tell you ugly readers that this band has a novel sound of their own that is as groovy as it is brutal. Many are the clone bands in the Metal brigade, but Bloodsoaked is not among them. Get your pedophile grips on this gurgling bastard of an album soon; cause Brutally Butchered is a fine beginning for a band with much potential.
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Review From: Vomit The Soul Zine
Brutally Butchered is the first full length release from BLOODSOAKED, but also its very first recording. BLOODSOAKED is a one man band playing great Brutal Death Metal with a drum machine, and this 1st full length release is made of 8 tracks of nice musick reminding of great bands like DEICIDE and MALEVOLENT CREATION played with fast and some almost Thrash riffs, but with a very modern sound, mainly because of the drum machine, but also because of the sound of the production that could remind of releases from bands like DEEDS OF FLESH and so. Thats where BLOODSOAKED get its originality, playing Old Skull Death Metal with a nice obscure feeling, the whole release coming with a very modern touch in the sound, but also in the musick itself with some very very intense parts reminding of FLESHGRIND Destined for Defilement cult album!! As written before Brutally Butchered is the very first release from BLOODSOAKED and its rather hard to believe it because this 1st album already sound really professional!! Great 1st album, Im already waiting the following release!! BUY OR DIE!!!!
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Review From: Underground Review (I only quoted the good stuff)
Have you heard Suffocation? How about Deicide and Cannibal Corpse? Well if you have, dont be surprised to find complete worship of the three here with North Carolinas self-proclaimed one man killing machine (Peter Hasselbrack) called Bloodsoaked, on his new 8 song album Brutally Butchered.
From the straight-forward title and gore-soaked cover, my first impression was this is either ultra down-tuned GoreGrind or some of that slam grooving Death Metal ala Devourment, but in the end its neither as it takes a much more old skool styled approach with shredding riffs and traditional non-stop thrashing drumming while still retaining a deeper, somewhat technical side and a worship for the three aforesaid bands. The bass isnt very present, but the riffs kind of make up for the loss as they carry a sharp, but thick and blistering tone to them reminding me of Deicide. Vocally, Peter Hasselbrack is surprisingly affective, even if unoriginal. He borders on sounding a little too much like Frank Mullen, but overall he gets the job done and as a result becomes one of the standout moments of the disc.
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Review From: Zware Metalen Webzine
Who or what, does this band thinks He is? And yes I said HE!. This band is just 1 person Peter Hasselbrack. He is responsible for this fucking great album, he did every part of this thing from guitar to vocals and even the drum computer was done by him, with sensitive feelings he programmed that thing without "overdoing" it, like other bands always do.
The old school bands as Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus are sure fav bands of him. You can hear their influences in songs like Sexual Mutilation, Killing You or the title track Brutally Butchered. The old school riffs fly through the air, but Hasselbrack plays doomy parts as easy as well, like the song Grinding Your Guts.
The production of this all is real good and don't be surprised: he did that to. This man can be accused of having a good talent of instrument feeling, and writing cool riffs. The lyrics on this album sound as always more guttural and gore then you ever thought off haha. Even that creep in Canada, Willy Pickton would have been inspired by all of this nastyness, so Canada should be glad he will never hear this stuff.
The only problem will be playing live, or he has to find some great session musicians to come along with him. For the total package of this I really think that the Real old school death freak should by this album asap.