Bleed The Dream

Killer Inside

[1/5] Granted, Los Angeles’ Bleed The Dream have endured hardships ranging from the unremarkable (replacing their original singer) to the tragic (the 2005 passing of drummer Scott Gottlieb from cancer). But behind new vocalist Mark Holmes and drummer Tom Breyfogle, they’ve undergone a sonic shift, trading in by-numbers screamo for affected aggro-rock that makes 30 Seconds To Mars sound like the second coming of Smashing Pumpkins. Unfortunately, most of Killer Inside-especially the mindless “Stay The Hell Away From Me” and the oddly upbeat “Considering, This Time It Was Me”-would be lucky to land in that band’s snot rags. “Closer” is the tightest track, and even it sounds like a joke. That the first person guitarist Dave Aguilera thanks in the liner notes is himself only adds earnest immodesty to injury. One can argue that Bleed The Dream’s previous work was unoriginal. But it beat the hell out of this. (WARCON) Tristan Staddon