
...And Then There Was Blood
by BLOO-D
The quiet nature of BLOO-D outside of the platforms they choose to put themselves on makes their evolutions a certain degree of unpredictable. So when they starts the second volume of this mixtape trilogy with a song that was likely the #1 song in their home country, but then wildly shifts it into a mix of Goth Rock and Synthwave, it almost feels par course.
But just like Future's hedonistic darkness clouded his best mixtapes like Monster, the eventual DS2 album, and even the "We Don't Trust You" album that "Like That" is on, BLOO-D reaches for their darkest impulses. The records are even more recognizable this time than the ones on "The First Vampire", but conversely, even just looking at the lyrics of all the tracks chosen makes it feel darker. But the funeral organs of "We Can't Be Friends", the frantic buildups of "Obsessed" and "The Change", and the now more melancholic tone in "Freedom to Pretend" make for a reflection of this darkness on its own. But "You Didn't Want Tchami" and "I Did Not Know" show that the Violet Wanda influence hasn't left, and "We Still Don't Trust Night Demons" tunes in the Horrorsynth influences that show BLOO-D will always carry this side of them.
While the soundscapes are similar, there are still small evolutions aside from just an increased darkness. The Techno elements of "I Did Not Know", "Deep Space Morning Star", and "Tell Me Why" reflect shifts in BLOO-D's own DJ sets, and "Atomic Blood is Pumping" and "You Are Confused Here" both embrace the Blade comparisons often made in BLOO-D's work as VVMPYRE. In that sense, combined with the horror roots, this really is just BLOO-D at their most BLOO-D. The most Gothic chord progressions, the most ear-catching yet dark hooks, and the most unpredictably predictable song choices for a mixtape full of Goth and Industrial mashups and bootlegs. But would you want it any other way?
released May 3, 2024
All original tracks by the respective credited artists
All tracks produced, mixed, and mastered by BLOO-D
Art by Vexed Vulpes