If you were hanging around the New England metal scene in the late nineties, you probably heard a sound that didn't quite make sense at first. It was chaotic. It was jagged. Blood Has Been Shed wasn't just another band throwing breakdowns together; they were architects of a very specific kind of math-heavy aggression that basically paved the way for the "huge" version of metalcore that took over MTV a few years later.
They were weird. Honestly, looking back at their debut I, Confess (1998), it’s kind of wild how much they resisted the "catchy" tropes of the era. Most people today know them as the "other band" featuring Howard Jones and Justin Foley before they joined Killswitch Engage. But treating Blood Has Been Shed like a mere footnote is a massive mistake. They were a bridge between the raw, screeching metallic hardcore of the mid-90s and the more polished, technical mastery of the 2000s.
The Howard Jones Factor and the Connecticut Connection
Most fans found this band backwards. They heard Howard’s booming, operatic voice on The End of Heartache and went digging through his discography. What they found in Blood Has Been Shed was... well, it wasn't that. It was visceral.
Howard's performance in this band was almost entirely unhinged. You don’t get the soaring choruses here. You get a man sounding like he’s physically fighting the microphone. Formed in Connecticut in 1997, the group initially consisted of Jones, guitarists Corey Unger and John Lynch, bassist Christopher Beattie (who later joined Hatebreed), and drummer Todd Beattie.
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Corey Unger was the secret weapon. His riffing style wasn't about the Swedish melodeath influence that defined the "Gothenburg-core" era. Instead, he played with these dissonant, awkward time signatures. It felt mathy but stayed heavy enough to punch you in the gut. By the time they released Novella of Uriel in 2001 on Ferret Music, they had perfected this weird, stop-start rhythm that felt like a panic attack set to music.
Why Spirals is the Record That Defined a Subgenre
If you want to understand why Blood Has Been Shed is a cult legend, you have to listen to Spirals (2003). By this point, the lineup had shifted. Justin Foley had stepped in on drums, bringing a level of technical precision that allowed the band to go even further into the weeds of odd time signatures.
Spirals is an exhausting listen in the best way possible.
The production is dry and punchy. Songs like "Age of Apocalypse" and "Useless to the Sequential" show a band that wasn't interested in being "radio-ready." While their peers were starting to write hooks for the Warped Tour crowd, Blood Has Been Shed was making music for the kids who spent their time analyzing Meshuggah tabs. It’s dense. It’s mean.
The weird thing? This was the same year Howard joined Killswitch Engage.
You can actually hear the transition happening. There are brief flickers of melody on Spirals, tiny moments where Howard’s "clean" voice peeks through the static. But it’s mostly just raw catharsis. It’s the sound of a band reaching their peak right as the members were being pulled away by the gravitational force of mainstream success.
The Mystery of the Fourth Album
For over twenty years, there has been a ghost haunting the metalcore scene. It’s the "unreleased" Blood Has Been Shed album.
Fans have been obsessing over this for ages. After Spirals, the band never officially broke up, but they went into a permanent state of "it’s complicated." Howard and Justin became two of the busiest guys in heavy music. Corey Unger, meanwhile, reportedly kept writing.
Every few years, a rumor pops up.
- "The tracks are tracked."
- "Howard is finished with vocals."
- "It's coming out this winter."
In various interviews over the last decade, Howard has confirmed that music exists. He’s mentioned that the material is even more experimental than Spirals. He once described it as being "totally different." But as of right now, it sits in a vault. It’s the metalcore equivalent of Chinese Democracy, except it might actually be good if it ever sees the light of day.
The reason this matters isn't just about "new tunes." It's about closure. Blood Has Been Shed ended on such a high creative note that the lack of a follow-up feels like a missing limb in the history of New England metal.
Dissecting the Sound: Not Quite Mathcore, Not Quite Hardcore
To really get what made them special, you have to look at the landscape of 2001. You had Shadows Fall doing the thrash thing. You had Poison the Well doing the emotional melodic thing.
Blood Has Been Shed was doing the "I want to break your brain" thing.
- Rhythmic Instability: Justin Foley’s drumming in this band is arguably more impressive than his work in Killswitch. He wasn't playing 4/4 beats; he was navigating Corey Unger’s erratic vision.
- Lyrical Depth: Howard’s lyrics weren't the standard "you broke my heart" or "tough guy" tropes. They were cryptic, spiritual, and deeply personal.
- The Dissonance: They used "ugly" chords. They liked the sound of strings rubbing against each other in ways that felt wrong.
Basically, they took the "core" part of metalcore and stripped away the comfort. Most bands use a breakdown to give the audience a rhythm to bounce to. Blood Has Been Shed used breakdowns to make you lose your place. It was brilliant.
The Lasting Legacy on Modern Bands
You see the fingerprints of this band on groups like The Dillinger Escape Plan (their later stuff), Car Bomb, and even some of the more progressive "djent" bands. They proved that you could be heavy without being predictable.
They also showed that "heavy" music didn't have to be one-dimensional. Howard Jones is a black man in a predominantly white scene, and his presence as a frontman—especially one with his vocal range and intensity—was (and is) massively influential. He didn't just fit into the scene; he redefined what a frontman in this genre could look like and sound like.
Even though Killswitch Engage gave him the platform to become a global star, Blood Has Been Shed was where he earned his stripes. It was the training ground for his endurance.
How to Get Into Them Now
If you’re a new listener, don’t start with the early demos. They’re a bit lo-fi and might turn you off.
Go straight to Spirals. Put on "Six Cells" and just listen to the way the drums and guitars lock together. It’s precise. It’s surgical. Then, go back to Novella of Uriel. You’ll hear a band that was hungry and slightly less polished, but arguably more "punk" in their delivery.
Honestly, it’s a shame we haven't had more from them. In a world where every band from 2003 is doing a "20th Anniversary Tour," Blood Has Been Shed remains a phantom. They don't do the nostalgia circuit. They don't post on social media. They just exist through the three albums they left behind and the massive careers of the guys who moved on.
The Reality of a Reunion
Is it going to happen? Probably not in the way people want.
Howard has his own projects (SION, Light The Torch), and Justin is still a pillar of the metal community. Corey Unger has moved on to other life paths. But the beauty of Blood Has Been Shed is that they don't need a comeback to stay relevant. Their music was so far ahead of its time that it still sounds fresh today.
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While other albums from 2003 sound dated—mostly due to that "overproduced" snare sound or cringey lyrics—Spirals sounds like it could have been recorded last week. It’s timeless because it didn't try to fit into a trend.
Actionable Steps for the Curious Fan
- Listen Chronologically: Start with Novella of Uriel and then hit Spirals. Notice the leap in technicality when Justin Foley joins the mix.
- Track Down the Lyrics: Don't just let the noise wash over you. Howard’s writing is dense and rewards a deep dive.
- Watch Live Footage: Hunt for old VH1 or bootleg YouTube clips from 2002-2003. The energy in those small rooms was terrifying.
- Check Out "SION": If you miss the Howard Jones aggression, his collaboration with Jared Dines is the closest spiritual successor to his heavier days.
The band represents a specific moment in time when "metalcore" wasn't a dirty word or a corporate formula. It was just a bunch of guys from New England trying to make the most confusing, heavy music they could imagine. And they succeeded.
Practical Next Steps
If you want to support the legacy, buy the physical media. Because of weird licensing shifts over the years, some of these tracks disappear from streaming services occasionally. Finding a copy of Spirals on CD or vinyl is the only way to ensure you’ll always have access to one of the most important blueprints in modern metal. Keep an eye on the members' current social feeds, but don't hold your breath for that fourth album—just enjoy the chaos they already gave us.