Gruesome

Kill Division – Peace Through Tyranny Review

By Saunders on September 21, 2022 in Reviews, 20 comments

“2022 may just go down as a banner year for grind, peppered with quality releases. Although it can be overlooked, grind can also be deceptively diverse, illustrated by the shifting styles of some of the genre’s big hitters in 2022. The debut album from Kill Division tackles grind from an old school perspective, delivered by a seasoned group of musicians, including members of Gruesome, Inhuman Condition, those who have logged time in Malevolent Creation, and former Soilwork and current Megadeth drummer, Dirk Verbeuren. Quite a pedigree of well-established and respected metal musicians.” Grindfire of the vanities.

Consumption – Necrotic Lust Review

By Ferox on August 27, 2022 in Reviews, 29 comments

“Someone forgot to put the surgical steel away, so Consumption grabbed it and started cutting. On Necrotic Lust, Hákan Stuvemark of Wombbath applies his gift for blending the heavy and the catchy to an album of straight-up Carcass-core. These nine symphonies of sickness aren’t trying to hide their debt to the English masters of grinding death metal; the promo copy makes the connection explicit, and Jeff Walker himself takes over lead vocals on “Ground Into Ash and Coal.” The band exists somewhere on the Gruesome Continuum–they’re willing to flirt with tribute act status if that means they can pump out new variations on the jams that inspired them.” Necrofanciers unite.

Disfuneral – Blood Red Tentacle Review

By Ferox on April 15, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, 15 comments

“”There is nothing new to be discovered here.” So reads the promo copy for Disfuneral’s debut full-length, which… look, Promo Copy Sir or Madam, we’ve all struggled with writer’s block, but let’s strive to keep things professional. Your job is to claim this album improves on both Left Hand Path and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony; ours is to throw cold water on such claims so Steel will toss a few scraps of Mystery Meat our way come mealtime.” Tentacle Elmo.

Pounder – Breaking the World Review

By Holdeneye on January 27, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 38 comments

“Pounder’s 2019 debut Uncivilized was covered here by Lokasenna, and since he seems to have quietly and non-suspiciously disappeared, Steel Druhm has seen fit to assign follow-up Breaking the World to yours truly. I have no illusions about why Steel has done this. It’s obvious that he believes I will end up crucifying myself before the commentariat, either by being unable to resist making unsavory jokes about the band’s name, or by going into full Skelator mode by lavishing praise upon yet another heavy metal album with questionable vocals.” Pounding the world.

Cemetery Filth – Dominion Review

By Mark Z. on April 15, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Boris Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Unspeakable Axe Records, 11 comments

“For such an iconic band, there aren’t many modern groups that sound very much like Death. Sure, Gruesome’s whole schtick is sounding like them and Skeletal Remains have a hearty Death influence, but compared to the legions of bands that mimic Entombed or Incantation, Chuck Schuldiner’s brainchild seems underrepresented. After Live Burial answered the call earlier this month, Atlanta’s Cemetery Filth are here with their Dominion debut to profess their own love of Schuldiner’s work.” I am become Death.

Gruesome – Twisted Prayers Review

By Mark Z. on June 1, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, 81 comments

“From Dio holograms to reunion albums to retro-fucking-everything, the last decade or so has been all about pandering to nostalgia, and Gruesome are a prime example. A few years ago, the ‘Death to All’ tours were begun to bring live renditions of the late Chuck Schuldiner’s music to a generation that never got to experience it the first time around. Following this time spent touring with former Death members, Exhumed’s Matt Harvey and Malevolent Creation’s Gus Rios took things a step further, forming Gruesome with the intent of creating new music in the vein of classic Death.” I am become Death.

Cist – The Frozen Casket Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on May 3, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Redefining Darkness Records, Reviews, Russian Metal, Death Metal, 59 comments

“A dear friend of mine winces at the thought of lasagna with mozzarella cheese. Hailing from Northern Italy, this man knows his cooking like I know ill-timed Plato references (ask my girlfriend, who I thought would appreciate it because she’s a few months more ancient than me), but is an utter purist in this regard. Here in North America, people from all over the world take their regional or national cuisine and update it, making it bigger and arguably better. Some experiments fail, but it’s the mastery of your influences and the will to proceed and get it completely wrong in the creative phase that allows for greatness instead of mere imitation.” Create death creatively!

Cut Up – Forensic Nightmares Review

By Roquentin on July 8, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 18 comments

“Just one look at the cover of Cut Up’s Forensic Nightmares will tell you pretty much everything there is to know about the music hidden beneath it. What else could a cool depiction of a disassembled human body represent other than some cool, old school death metal?” Cover o’ the Year? Maybe.

Gruesome – Savage Land Review

By Steel Druhm on April 14, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Death Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, 18 comments

“Now here’s a cannibal of a different color. Some may be aware of the Death To All tours that happened over the last few years, but for the unfamiliar, Death to All is a cover act paying homage to Death and the late, great Chuck Schuldiner by running through the greatest hits of the seminal band’s discography live. From that loving tribute tour, a loving side project was spawned. Savage Land is a new kind of tribute to Death, written to be an an album slotted between Leprosy and Spiritual Healing in the Death discography.” No individual thought patterns here, but hey, they’re only human.