Internal Bleeding- Settle All Scores Review
By Alekhines Gun
Few bands influence outshine their immediate popularity as much as Internal Bleeding. The founding fathers of slam, the lynch pins of New Yawk style thuggin and brawling, have been a pivotal DNA strain of death metal since debut Voracious Contempt spat in the face of human decency back in 1995. But the years have been as gritty to the band as their music, with infamous production issues, perpetual lineup shuffles, and tragic deaths littering their storied careers. The band have remained unbroken, and now seven years later have returned with a semi-reconstructed lineup, a new label, and a new album in tow. Has the passage of time dulled their edge, or will the Long Island boys successfully reduce your organs to leakage?
First things first, this is the best Internal Bleeding have ever sounded. The move to Maggot Stomp seems to have been an inspired choice, shedding the somewhat polished Unique Leader production in favor of a sound which, while not quite as slime-covered as the more prestigious of the maggot roster, is much more visceral and immediate in its filth. Settle All Scores sounds meaty and full, clearly articulating the entire band while they lob brass knuckle-clad grooves and bops at you from top to bottom. The guitar tone combines razor-edge immediacy with a thick enough backbone to provide the barbed wire to requisite drops (“Crown of Insignificance”, “Enforced Compliance”) with Ryan Giordano’s bass thunking away and given the occasional spotlights reminiscent of The Extinction of Benevolence. While the bands live power has never been in doubt, it’s refreshing to finally hear a record which translates into something equally thuggish and barbaric.
Compositionally, Settle All Scores slots nicely between the vaguely melodic progressivisms of Corrupting Influence with the brute-force straightforwardness of Driven to Conquer. While obviously taking the time to slam, the album feels more like it flirts with brutal death proper. Kickoff track “Intangible Pact” tinkers with intense tempos while band founder Chris Pervelis and second guitarist/backup vocalist/insatiable hypeman Chris McCarthy present some of the most convoluted triplet-laced scales in the bands discography. Internal Bleeding play heavily with tempo and octave shifting, with songs like “Settle All Scores” offering a funky slam which sounds ready to brawl with a smile before dropping it several intervals and giving the same intonation an extra dose of menace. The 80s-sounding solos from Corrupting Influence make a triumphant return, though not with the frequency that I might have wished. They add a unique flavor to a hodgepodge of constantly crushing riffs, with the next beat-down tempo change and word vomit from new vocalist1 Steve Worley never far behind. Consequently, this is an album that seeks to violate and brutalize at every turn, but does so with class and flair of elder statesmen without devolving into the overblown caveman tropes much of slam has deteriorated into.
The final result leaves Internal Bleeding sounding more energetic and vibrant than they have in decades. Settle All Scores oozes exuberance and enthusiasm, sounding very much like a living and breathing album more than a mere collection of tracks. The sheer kinesis from the performances on display carry “live album” vibes, with each cut diving in with a charisma that can only be honed from decades of touring and live shows to crowds great and small.2 Bolstered by a litany of guest vocalist appearances from Skinless, PeelingFlesh, Never Ending Game, and three former vocalists of their own, the band stand at the peak of their game technically, compositionally, and performatively. Settle All Scores doesn’t swing for the progressive tendencies of Imperium, which might disappoint some fans. But the push to increase the sheer brutality on display means such disappointment shouldn’t ruin the experience, as this release comes with its own flavor and stands high in the overall discography of the slam peddlers.
Settle All Scores is a triumphant return, and one that I hope spells a brighter future for Internal Bleeding. An excellent production, well-honed compositional touches, and manic delivery have allowed the bourbon-swilling, cigar-chomping vets to remind everybody who they are and why they matter. If you’re new to the band, this is as excellent a jumping-off point as any in their discography, and if you’ve been pining for their breed of bar-fight anthems, there’s no reason why you’ll be disappointed. Now go get your own scoresheet, your favorite barb-wire bat, and let the tallying unfold…
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Maggot Stomp Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 17th, 2025
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