Release Date: June 13th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Dark Simulator - Tracklisting
1.Empty Cities 06:43
2.Atomise 02:15
3.The Docks 05:08
4.Phantoms 06:09
5.Airburst 05:24
6.You Won't Hear It When It Happens 04:29
7.From The Inside 04:39
8.Ruliad 05:16
Review
Dark Simulator is the debut album from Aussie Ambient Metallers Bloodwood who express a highly melodic style of Prog Metal with Psychedelic visions that also includes moments of Grunge, Doom, Sludge, Stoner and Alt Metal grooves. The record is quite vast with its multiple styles of haunting Ambient themed Doom and Stoner Metal that sees Bloodwood use similar themes to bands such as ISIS, Mastodon, King Buffalo, Deftones and HUM. The heavy Prog Sludge melodies are quite forward thinking with a brooding atmosphere developing within the overlapping Post-Stoner and Post-Doom landscapes which have an air of SONIC aggression behind them.
The record is constantly melodic with Bloodwood not afraid of diluting the record with strands of Post-Rock attitude which gives Dark Simulator a sense of unexpected calm amongst the trippy Sludge Metal surroundings that have a slight resemblance to ISIS and Mastodon at times. Though, Bloodwood keeps things interesting with their Grunge aspects shining through.
The vocals are mostly clean based with small amounts of HARSH delivery coming through. Bloodwood aren’t afraid to change their creative stance from one of destruction to a slightly hopeful style of redemption in places which gives Dark Simulator a highly unexpected quality with the overall Doomedelic and Ambient tone that fills the whole environment.
Bloodwood cover a lot of musical ground within the albums forty minute runtime with some tracks feeling slightly longer than they actually but that’s a good things with the band including multiple different styles of music that have a cinematic edge to them especially on tracks such as Empty Cities, The Docks, Phantoms, Airburst and Ruliad.
There’s a lot of sonic experimentation and Ambient interplay with the different musical soundscapes and haunting Post-Rock backdrops that has a deep methodical attitude which can easily the band draw comparisons to bands from the Seventies Prog Rock scene at times but everything becomes modern based when the band inject that violent Sludge Rock/Metal attitude within the opening passages of the excellent opening track Empty Cities.
The production values on Dark Simulator are immense and superbly realised with Bloodwood delivering a highly memorable experience which demands your undivided attention. This is a record of outstanding quality with Bloodwood firing on all cylinders throughout that will leave you wholly satisfied. If you want a similar underground fix to the likes of DOMKRAFT then this is the place to be.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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