Personal Narrative: Bloodlines

If you can headbang to it, mosh to it, that's my kind of song. First impression of Bloodlines. Hell Yeah ! I want to hear this played live. There's nothing like going to a metalcore or death metal concert and the crowd is singing, rock horns in the air, a sea of metalheads thrashing about in unison and the mosh pit gets more brutal as the set goes on. The lights are pulsing blues and reds, the room is shaking and the number of bodies packed inside sweat up the walls. Although I am an itty bitty thing and I stand on the sidelines out of the way of the massive pit of crazed fans running into each other with fists flying and legs swinging. I feel no disconnect. This is how I feel when I close my eyes and indulge myself like a kid in a candy store wanting more of Samsara's Debut Album "Bloodlines" plays, as each track ends and another begins.

With Dan Croutch killing vocals, Billy Arviso shredding on his guitar and backing Dan's vocals, Austin Howard melodically destroying that bass guitar and Giovanni Vermont killing those drum beats like he's from another universe. I have to wonder why these guys aren't signed to a label yet. Samsara is HERE and READY to bring the fire to your hometown. As I dive into Track One of Bloodlines, the title track, "This Means War" I immediately get the feeling I'm going to lose myself. Dan Croutch who is lead vocals wrote most the lyrics based on his personal struggles with addiction and loss. Almost giving up on everything he decided to put pen to paper and pour his feelings into song. I understand from a personal point of view where Dan's coming from, and as he spits each lyric out like a bad taste in his mouth, he is telling his story and mine with each hard hitting scream and gut wrenching