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GRACELESS
Chants From Purgatory

Raw Skull Recordz (2022)
Rating: 7.5/10

Founded in 2016, Graceless is a death metal band from the Netherlands and Chants From Purgatory is the their third full-length outing.

The combo continues its rudimentary, groove-based death metal, but there’s no denying its accessible power and atmosphere as the guys craft some interesting slabs of juggernaut death / doom in the vein of Asyphyx but laced at times with an Autopsy-style of morbidity, particularly in slow segments as evidenced on opener ‘Giants’.

Graceless also isn’t afraid to throw in heaps of melody alongside the extremity – again I refer to ‘Giants’ and its excellent guitar work. And throughout this opus, as with previous releases, you are treated to riff-fest after riff-fest as the likes of Bolt Thrower, Kataklysm and Vomitory come to the fore.

It’s nice to hear such chunky death metal but also designs built around strong melodies. ‘The Gates Of the Gallows’ chimes along nicely to the clank of Jasper Aptroot’s bass, and ‘Nyctophilia’ oozes with an ashen, gasping moodiness, dragged by the effective percussion of Marc Verhaar. But of course you expect such quality when one considers that these guys – including vocalist / guitarist Remco Kreft and fellow axeman Björn Brusse – have appeared for the likes of Soulburn and Xenomorph.

What I really like about this opus is how songs such as ‘Blood Of The Brave’ are so damn tuneful and catchy even when they shift into a more organic and destructive chug. At times, this record reminds me of the brilliant yet short-lived Grand Supreme Blood Court; fresh, gnarly death metal that’s mesmeric in its crushing simplicity and vigour.

Neil Arnold

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