When I deal with an unknown outfit, the band photo is always of a certain importance. Not because of the length of hair or suchlike, but because of the band shirts worn by the musicians. Since these are a reference and hint of inspiration. And, in time before the world wide web, always a good chance to discover new bands. At the current line-up picture of FRAKASM I particular notice UADA and DEATH (“Symbolic” artwork from 1995). That is a good transition, because on their second album the quartet from France plays a mix of technically demanding Death Metal with a slightly melodic Black Metal touch. What makes “And So The Blood Was Shed” so appealing is the fact that it never completely tilt in one direction or the other. So we have elements of melodic Black Metal, at some moments pretty aggressive with shrieky (not too shrieky) vocals and long passages of Death Metal with a more husk grunting. Both ingredients alternate harmoniously, there are no fractions to be heard that would have a negative impact on the entire work. What also excites me is the fact that FRAKASM concentrate on genuine Death Metal. A number of Death / Black Metal bands always move on to further development, but on “And So The Blood Was Shed” the decent listener can still hear pure Death Metal. The highlight for me is the opening track ‘Unholy Sacrificial Eucharist’, due to its excellent mixture of melodic and technical approach and the dark atmosphere it creates. The rest of the album can not quite maintain this level, but that is the only criticism of this album, which has an excellent sound. We do not give out points here at VOICES, but if we did, I would give it nine out of ten. Really great Death Metal! Go and get your deadly dose of French Death Metal by visiting www.facebook.com/frakasm or www.facebook.com/greatdanerecords