Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Firebreather have been kicking around since 2016. They sketched out the bones of their sound on 2017’s self-titled, but it wasn’t until 2019’s Under a Blood Moon that they struck gold in the form of a small but potent infusion of Americana. That influence lessened on 2022 follow-up Dwell in the Fog, but a refinement of their groove kept the quality high. Four years later, the doomy trio returns with their fourth full-length in a decade, Blood That I Spill Turns to Fire. With this record, the band sought to keep things raw and heavy while adding a bit of melody and emotion to the brew. These elements can be tricky to mix, but how does Firebreather handle this new direction?
If you looked at the album art above and guessed stoner/sludge, you’d be right. With riffs too fat to fit through a barn door and a bass that registers on the Richter scale, Firebreather know how to rattle some teeth. These guys strike a balance between a slow and middle pace, favoring powerful, patient grooves over technical whizbangs and wankery. While Firebreather’s style may be too slow or repetitive for the layman and too fast for the funeral doom fan, true defenders of the faith will revel in Blood That I Spill Turns to Fire. Whether invoking the Sabbath (“The Sorrow Hides”), swinging with the ocean’s current (“El Cuervo”), or marching to Amon Amarth’s beat (“Against the Light,” “Shrines”), Matthias Nӧӧjd is a devout worshipper at the altar of the riff, savoring each fully before moving to the next. If Nӧӧjd brings the groove to Firebreather’s sound, bassist Jacob Madetoja brings the weight. Rumbling in step with Nӧӧjd’s fretwork, Madetoja turns Firebreather’s deep rumblings into a full-fledged earthquake.
The western flair from previous records seems to have disappeared, but that doesn’t hinder Blood at all. Firebreather’s latest effort surpasses their previous work while leaving their hallmark Conan-meets-High on Fire sound intact. Each track possesses a crystal-clear sense of self and flows effortlessly from verse to chorus to bridge and back, showcasing a focus on and vast improvement in raw songcraft. While Nӧӧjd still calls down from the mountaintop with a voice like a landslide, Blood sees him occasionally utilize softer, cleaner pipes. This isn’t a runaway success, but the variation is appreciated and allows Firebreather to orchestrate more dramatic compositions with more nuanced pushes and pulls. In a genre stereotypically focused on distortion and thiccness, Blood is surprisingly open with a DR of 9. Whatever magic Joona Hassinen wove at Studio Underjord made Blood an absolute pleasure to listen to—equal parts raw, dirty, and clear.
For all the praise I’m heaping on Firebreather, it’s the solo work that truly sets Blood apart. Suffused with the heart of our chosen genre’s distant progenitor, each time Nӧӧjd takes center stage, his guitar weeps with the same sweet sorrow that B.B. King’s and Albert Collins’s once did. Both “Only in the Eyes of Others” and “Protector of Realm” boast crooning, blues-soaked axe work—both guitar and bass—that could make a brick wall cry. On album highlight “Against the Light,” Madetoja soulfully slithers and winds around Nӧӧjd’s rhythmic fretwork, clearing the way for Nӧӧjd to crack the fucking skye. When I first heard this song, I could only imagine what tragedy gave birth to this impassioned centerpiece. Did his dog die? Is the thrill gone? Did he get the dyin’ flu? Whatever happened, I’m kinda thankful, because this solo fucking slaps.
There are a few dips—an overlong interlude here, a trimmable outro there, a suitable but unremarkable percussive performance—but in a genre that often drags and attempts to mimic drugs’ warped sense of time, Blood That I Spill Turns to Fire absolutely flies by, always leaving me wanting more. Firebreather’s fanatical worship of the riff, strong songwriting and flow, and soulful DNA make Blood an impressive entry a decade into the band’s career. I was surprised to find out this is Firebreather’s first visit to our Halls, but after spinning Blood That I Spill Turns to Fire, I’m certain they’ll be invited back.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 16th, 2026
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