Belgian quintet Bark figured now is the time to release its fifth album, The Time Has Come. Jokes aside, Time features a dozen songs of death n’ roll with a pinch of hardcore and thrash. Death n’ roll is hard to pull off, as it is not merely watered down death metal, but death metal with a nasty groove. Swedish death metal pioneers Entombed are credited with creating the sub-genre with the 1993 seminal record Wolverine Blues. Bands have used the record as a template with mixed results after three decades, but perfection is hard to replicate. Bark hit major points on The Time Has Come, which is aggressive, fast, but occasionally showcases a swagger. Opening track “Negativist” is a pugnacious assault of buzzsaw guitars and triplet drumming. Vocalist Ron Bruynseels sounds like L.G. Petrov (RIP), which reaffirms my statement about Entombed’s influence on death n’ roll. “Shaman” is one of the more accessible songs on the album, but still has heavy riffs compliments of Martin Furia and Toon Huet. “Dodge The Bullet” is a thrashing song and features the evil Stockholm death metal riffing that defines 90s Swedish death metal. The plodding breakdown during the track’s midsection is icing on the cake.
“On No One’s Word” opens with a menacing hardcore riff and simple 4/4 drum beat before the bass kicks in. This is the album’s second single, which is understandable due to its hardcore stomp and sick guitar leads. Things speed up again on “Whisky Rivers”, which is no frills thrash, that is bound to incite a mosh pit. The pugilism continues with “Faceless” which is a mid-tempo number with a slight industrial touch with the robotic sounds guitar riffs. “Seven” is another highlight with riffing reminiscent of Slayer and a nasty staccato breakdown that would make Kerry King raise a glass. Album closer “The Curse From Above” has minor flirtations with black metal due to the somber main riff and dissonant guitar fills, but retains the band’s lumbering, hardcore groove.
Bark do not reinvent the wheel on The Time Has Come, but there is no need to. I have stated death n’ roll is not easy to play and few bands can successfully do so. Bark plays to its strengths, but does not play it safe on this record. Thus, the album is enjoyable and there are few duds and low points. No song reaches the five minute mark, with the record clocking in at over 43 minutes. The band does not just get in and get out however. Instead, the songs are thought out and we get some interesting riffs, guitar solos and a nice fusion of hardcore, thrash and death metal. The production is fine with the guitars and bass having a healthy dose of bottom end.
Fans of extreme metal will like The Time Has Come for its diversity more than anything. It is death n’ roll played well, but slightly misses the bullseye. Regardless, songs like “Seven”, “Dodge The Bullet” and “Lord of the Skies” are close enough to perfection that it does not matter. We are entering the second quarter of 2025 and are due for some proper death n’ roll. And on that note, Bark delivers.
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