The first band I want to talk about in my artist spotlight is a band I fell in love with the moment I heard them. That band is Blood Youth.
You ever listen to a song that just does something to you? It gives you goosebumps and that tingly feeling inside like you’re seeing your first crush across the playground at school recess. That’s what Blood Youth did to me the first time I heard them.
I first discovered this band in 2019 when they randomly popped up on my Spotify while driving to work one morning. What first attracted me to Blood Youth so quickly was the dark, deep, relatable lyrical content as well as the nü metal influences sprinkled over the crushing drums and crunchy guitars. I loved that they had their own sound while still paying homage to the bands that paved the way. Blood Youth’s sound is dark, desperate, raw, emotional. It enters through your ears and finds its way straight into your heart as Kaya Tarsus’ struggles and demons are ones that a lot of us can relate to.
Hailing from North Yorkshire, England, Blood Youth formed in 2014 and released their debut album Beyond Repair in 2017 following two EPs (2015’s Inside My Head and 2016’s Closure). Beyond Repair was very melodic hardcore with a lot of punk influence. If this album was released in the days of the early Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, any song on this album would be a good addition to the soundtrack.
In 2019, Blood Youth released their second album, Starve. The band departed from the sound of their previous album and adopted the darker, more nü metal sound that I fell in love with. Beyond Repair is a great album but I’m glad I discovered them in their new era, as Starve was the exact album I needed to hear exactly when I needed to hear it. The hard-hitting lyrics and rawness of this album got me through a lot. That’s another reason I hold this band so near and dear to my heart.
Blood Youth saw how much I loved this album and said “Hold my beer,” releasing an album that is, in my opinion, even better, darker, heavier, more raw, more powerful. Enter 2021’s Visions Of Another Hell. This album is flawless; musically, lyrically, structurally, and everything in between. VOAH as an album that I listen to very frequently and I think Blood Youth really found their footing on this one. This may be the last album we hear from them in a while, though, which is a damn shame
Right before this album was released, Kaya exited the band to take care of his mental health. He was replaced by former God Complex vocalist Harry Rule. As of January 2023 the band are on hiatus. Hopefully this is just a hiatus and not a permanent end to the band because the world needs more Blood Youth. I was also excited to see what direction the band went in with Harry front and center.
If you haven’t checked out any of these albums yet, do yourself a huge favor and give Blood Youth a listen. I really can’t recommend them enough!
Beyond Repair (2017)
Starve (2019)
Visions Of Another Hell (2021)