Bleed the Dream

Bleed the Dream caught my attention two months ago, when the band played a short acoustic set on the side stage for the Sac stop in the Taste of Chaos (or, Warped No. 2) tour. Two weeks later the band’s screamo intensity took a major blow when drummer Scott Gottlieb lost his year-long battle with cancer—just 16 days before the release of the group’s first album. Gottlieb was awaiting a bone marrow transplant and persevered through as many shows as he could, having other musicians fill in for him when he was going through treatments. The CD Built by Blood showcases the driving determination and real blood, sweat and tears, as Gottlieb left his hospital bed to pour out what he had left for the recordings. “Emotion Regression” is meant to be played loud as the guitarist Dave Aguilera picks away in the intro which transitions into a windy, mountainous drive of emotions, from fitful feelings of rage to lulls of serenity. “Broken Wings” is the closer and is dedicated to Gottlieb’s memory: “When darkness fell on the streets last night/ No one expected/ No one expected this.” A bittersweet beginning for this young band.