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GRUESOME
Twisted Prayers

Relapse (2018)
Rating: 8.5/10

What more can be said about Gruesome? The Death worship, as expected, continues with Twisted Prayers; the second full-length offering from this U.S. force.

This time the putrid posse plumbs the depths of Death’s third album Spiritual Healing (1990) for inspiration, combining fluid technical prowess with mouldier gnarls still aimed at Chuck Schuldiner’s earlier, magical creations Scream Bloody Gore (1987) and more so Leprosy (1988).

At times, it is hard to review such an album whereby its architects have knowingly copied and rearranged so many segments of such well-known records, and I do wonder where the quartet will go from here – maybe by taking huge, wholesome chunks from other classic death metal bands? However, so many bands are doing that now – and have done since the 90s and to far lesser effect – so for me I still see Gruesome as being masterful purveyors of that classic Death sound rather than being mere rip-offs.

The quality continues here as frontman Matt Harvey continues to emphasise certain gruelling words in respect of Schuldiner’s original bellows. ‘A Waste Of Life’ was the lead-off single; a steady chug featuring an infectious melody right from Spiritual Healing as the band lumbers on Gus Rios’ mesmerising drum nods. The complexity is there too, with a sudden jarring, jolting passage before that fusty gallop and then a bewildering solo. But as Harvey burps “You are a piece of shit… fuck yooouuu!”, there is also that realisation that at times Gruesome are more than a sum of their Deathly parts as they maintain intelligent levels of classy, intricate death metal in its own right.

This is more evident with tracks such as the chunky speedball that is ‘Inhumane’, where Robin Mazen’s bass trundles aggressively in tandem with those feisty drums, and the tuneful terror of ‘Fate’, with its meandering pathways of brutality and squirms of delicious melody.

The production must also be noted, however; the band conversing with Scott Burns for advice. So it was no surprise then that the guitar tone alone took so long to perfect, and these qualities shine through on tracks such as the aforementioned ‘Fate’ and ‘At Death’s Door’. Both are gore-spattered slabs of bloated fury, but also exhibit those darker, bellowing passages which in turn are reflected by Gruesome’s ability to become commentators (just like Death) on topics outside of comic-book horror. Instead, the band focus on matters such as gun violence (‘Fatal Illusion’), while the title track looks at those who have children suffering terminal illness but refuse medicine, preferring to put their faith in a divine entity which of course can’t save their offspring from eventual death.

However, Gruesome also begin to build bridges between that Spiritual Healing style and Human (1991); again bringing those bludgeoning grooves before slipping into fragrances of technicality.

It is also worth noting the appearance of former Death guitarist James Murphy, who contributes guest solos on the tracks ‘Crusade Of Brutality’ and ‘At Death’s Door’. But whether you’re a Death fan or just a death metal fan, there’s no denying the art and craft of Gruesome; a band that, through its airs and graces of familiarity have composed a dazzling extreme metal record with a fine Ed Repka cover to match.

Neil Arnold

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