Blood Money - Red, Raw and Bleeding! (1986)

Perhaps one of the most unsung bands when it comes to the chaotic speed/thrash storm, England’s very own BLOOD MONEY never quite got their due. Though highly celebrated in the metal underground these days, the band only ever released a couple of brilliant records before calling it quits and splintering off to form other groups. It’s a shame, really, as BLOOD MONEY had all the ingredients to be a huge band – powerful vocals, ripping guitars, thunderous bass, and pounding drums. And yet, they didn’t get all that far. Perhaps it was their combination of humor with vast amounts of speed that dissuaded the general public from grappling onto them, or maybe the provocative lyrics and album covers – who knows? One thing’s for sure, however, and it’s that I’m here to promote the hell outta these guys.

This album specifically… it’s just insane. It kicks off with one of the fastest metal tracks of that era, a blistering fire of punk energy and absolutely massive vocals from Danny Foxx. I mean, the dude just had the voice – there’s nothing that gets me more pumped up than his delivery on songs like “Metalyzed” and “Red, Raw and Bleeding.” From here, they move into more goofy territory with “N.Z.F.E.D.K.,” short for Nazi Zombie Flesh-Eating Devil Killers. This song is utterly ridiculous, and yet, it rips. This kind of humor paired with this style of metal usually isn’t my cup of tea, but with BLOOD MONEY, they exude such force that it doesn’t even matter. You could present me with this song, devoid of context, and I’d know it was a banger right out of the gate. Furthermore, BLOOD MONEY wasn’t one of those bands who relied on guitar solos to carry their songs. Yes, there are some absolutely shredding solos across this record, but the songs are so riff-driven and the solos are so sloppy that it’s more like a punch in the face in the middle of a song than it is a thought-out interlude to bridge one section of a song to another. Like I said before, it just doesn’t matter – their power is genuinely tough to wrap my head around. But enough about guitars and vocals, there’s the intense rhythm section to talk about! Much like the majority of records from this era, the bass is low in the mix. As unfortunate as that is, I can still make it out and let me tell you something… it’s just mirroring the guitar parts. But that’s okay! For a record like this, I don’t need the complex basslines of someone like Steve Harris; I just need a lightning-fast blitzkrieg of speed. Unlike the bass, the drumming on here keeps everything together… but not without some flashy playing. While completely pummeling, the drums act as glue for this chaotic record, with monstrous fills and blisteringly fast kick drum work.

Overall, I’ve gotta hand it to these guys. Most albums that come in barely over 30 minutes seem lazy, but not this one. Whatever you do, if you see this album on your metal journey, DO NOT SKIP OVER IT!!!

Encyclopædia Metallum

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Originally published in March '24 (Issue No. 2)