"First up, some disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of prog-rock, prog-metal, or any variation thereof. Not to say that even the concept of prog-___ makes me fly into a rage, but I’m basically a loud, dumb rock kind of guy, the type who grins like an idiot when AC/DC is playing. Complex chord changes and odd time signatures are good once in awhile, but not all the time.

So having me review And Blood Was Passion, the debut album from Minneapolis’ Zebulon Pike (not to be confused with Sweden’s Zebulon, who are more in line with my loud, dumb rock sensibilities), could be a conflict of interest. Fortunately, due to the impressive playing of this four piece, it’s not.

The all-instrumental And Blood Was Passion takes awhile to sink in, but in the end it’s an engrossing album. Challenging too, seeing how each song boasts of complex chord changes and odd time signatures. Being not too familiar with the genre overall, I can’t name similar bands or notable influences, but Zebulon Pike do share a bond with the proggier elements of Pelican, as well as the harmonized leads of Blind-era Corrosion of Conformity and the chugga-chugga thrust of classic Anthrax. The latter two aspects are intermittent, and due to the rapid-fire changes in the songs, not always noticeable. This is to the band’s credit – they keep things interesting and original.

This brings to mind the pros and cons of Zebulon Pike. For fans of no-frills rock, it’ll be tough catching a consistent groove in And Blood Was Passion. For those with an appreciation for demanding, intricate music, this disc is your thing. It may not be an immediate album, but it’s a deep one. And in case you’re wondering, it’s also damn heavy."