Johnny Craven — Bleed MAXI SINGLE REVIEW
Johnny Craven dropped their maxi single Bleed at the beginning of November. It contains the single itself which will be part of their 2021 LP MACH1N3, as well as some remixes and two bonus songs — Again and Bang Bang. If you’re into industrial, alternative, or electronic music you’re going to want to check this one out.
Because of the structure of this release I’ll talk about the three core songs, and discuss the remixes after. I enjoyed the title track, Bleed. It has a cool electronic introduction followed by a really tight main riff. The vocals on the verses are solid and I liked the glitchy background effects and aggressive bass presence. It reminds me of a poppier, more electronic/alt Rammstein. The drums are really well done as well — they sound huge and the section around the two minute mark where he plays on the ride is dope. The chorus is catchy and I can definitely see this getting radio play.
Again is the second track but it really functions like an interlude. It has a wacky intro and sounds like the beginning to a 90s computer game. It wasn’t anything special for me but I did like the repeating lyric ‘ I’m happy again’. It hit home and kind of gave me a Nirvana vibe.
The last track that isn’t a remix is Bang Bang. I honestly like this song better than the single. It’s got a really cyberpunk intro and a really tight bass line. I love the seedy vibe this song gives off, and the vocals on it are killer — especially the backing vocals during the middle of the song. It’s got a fun chorus and I loved the inclusion of harsh vocals to spice it up. It even delivered a cheeky breakdown near the end of the song which I enjoyed quite a bit.
With respect to the remixes there are some really solid ones on here. Bleed (Graveyard Party Remix) has some cool synth melodies and gives off a huge cybergoth vibe. It feels like it would be right at home playing at a seedy club in Blade Runner. Bleed (The Succubus Are Back Remix) has a solid groove and you can really vibe to it. I dug the heavy electronic sections, it reminded me of some modern metal riffs in the way it was played and the song as a whole gave me a New Order feel. I especially liked Bleed (We, Devourers of Light Gospel) because it took the song in a more unique direction. It has a cool intro and a much slower feel to it.
The problem I have is that the other remixes are pretty forgettable. Some work fine as background music, but others were really rough to get through and listening to this whole release back to back was a struggle for me.
Despite dragging a bit with the remixes, as a whole I liked it quite a bit. Check this out if you’re into electronic, industrial, or alt rock. This has character and I think you’ll find something to enjoy here. Learn more about Johnny Craven at the links below.
https://www.johnnycraven.com/
https://www.youtube.com/JOHNNYCRAVEN
Originally published at https://kitchentoonz.com on November 21, 2020.
