Eh? This kind of violence hasn't been shown in Bleach's prior arcs. Not in such a concentration over the course of such a few panels.
The pacing, week by week, hasn't been like this either.
Just 4 or 5 chapters ago, we didn't even know the enemy, Ichigo and company were chilling in Ichigo's room eating bread and a new villain (who is by now, dead) arrives. Now, they are in Hueco Mundo about to infiltrate, with Urahara at their side, no less. Not to mention shit is going down in Soul Society too. If this were the HM type pacing, we would've gotten about 3 chapters devoted to those schmucks coming into Yama's room and having Sasakibe or whoever die.
Yes, the formula for the arc is thus far the same as previous ones, but the makings of it have been different in the two ways I mentioned, and I think it's for the better.
I don't see why a Shonen protagonist helping a friend is so surprising...