Rock/Review Blunt Blade - Forgiveness

Blunt Blade is originally from southeast Minnesota. He began singing as far back as he can remember, playing piano by age 7, guitar by age 15, and bass and drums by age 16. Blunt Blade grew up listening to every style of music he could get into his sonically gluttonous ears. He founded the cover band Chainsaw Vendetta (originally named Chainsaw Vasectomy) as lead guitar player and lead singer at age 16.

Blunt Blade is a multi-instrumentalist from Minnesota whose ambitious and emotionally driven sophomore album, “Forgiveness,” defies simple classification. This project is both musically expansive and thematically focused, combining elements of rock, progressive rock, dramatic orchestration, alternative textures, and electronic soundscapes. The production quality is as flawless as the musical vision is audacious, having been mixed and mastered at the renowned Abbey Road Studios.

“Forgiveness” is a collection of short stories, each one containing moral ambiguity, existential doubt, and personal tragedy. As a result, rather than being a typical rock album, it feels more like a compilation of short films. Rich in emotional and instrumental levels, the songs are dark, brooding, and full of melody, revealing new things to devoted listeners with every listen.

The 10.5-minute progressive rock masterpiece that serves as the title track is the album's emotional and creative focal point. Before ending on a solemn, eerie conclusion, it builds steadily from a quiet, introspective opening to a grand, symphonic finale. There is a gleam of hope despite the gloom, a thematic thread that transforms the record from one of sorrow to one of healing.

Blunt Blade's versatility and vision as a composer and performer are highlighted by his skillful manipulation of tone and dynamics throughout the record. “Forgiveness” is more than simply an album; it's an engaging, provocative, and painstakingly produced experience. It pushes listeners to face suffering, consider ethics, and eventually look for purpose in even the most hopeless situations. Fans of story-driven, boundary-pushing music should not miss this.