Gruesome Echoes

I've loved Gruesome since hearing their first record, Savage Land, back in 2015. They came together to pay tribute to the late Chuck Schuldiner and the band Death, and they have stayed true to that mission with each record sounding like a long lost Death recording session. I loved those first three Death albums, so I'm here for what Gruesome has been doing.

It's been seven years since the last Gruesome record, Twisted Prayers, and I kind of expected that the band was done. I was surprised to see that the band had a new record on the way this year, and I wasn't sure if I was going to really want to spend a lot of time with it. Sure, Twisted Prayers was good, but I've only listened to it a handful of times since its release, so was I really going to bother with a new album?

It took me a couple of months to get around to checking out the new Gruesome record, Silent Echoes, but when I did, the timing was perfect because it was exactly what I needed at the time. There have been a few times this year when I just want to listen to something angry and ugly, and this was one of those times. It hit perfectly and I've already listened to this more than their last album.

Since picking up a couple of Relapse records this year on clear vinyl, I'm kind of hooked on it. These are limited to 100 and only available to friends and family of the band an label, but I've been lucky to grab the few Relapse releases that I've been interested in straight off Discogs for a decent price.

Gruesome Prayers

Gruesome are a straight up tribute to Chuck Schuldiner and his band Death. They aren't trying to break new ground...they are just creating music that fits into the footprint left behind by Death...and they nail it. I loved the first three Death albums back in the late 80's, so what Gruesome offer here is just what I look for in a Death Metal band. I'm not sure how much longer the band can keep up with this routine, but I'm on board for another record.

That Repka art work looks amazing, and with the green camo labels that are an obvious nod to Combat Records, I had to go with the black vinyl pressing. Colored vinyl with those old school camo labels just didn't make sense in my head.

Twisted Prayers is another ripper that recalls those best early Death albums.

When I was ordering Twisted Prayers, I had the urge to pick up a Gruesome t-shirt as well...because you know, I can't have too many metal shirts that will make my wife cringe when I wear them in public.

Gruesome Psyche

The entire motivation behind Gruesome is to pay tribute to the memory of Chuck Schuldiner and his band, Death. The first two Gruesome records were an amazing homage to those early Death records. Since I'm a disciple of the trinity of Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy, and Spiritual Healing, I couldn't have been happier. The later Death records are good, but for me, they don't come close to the punch of those first three. When Gruesome announced that their new material was more in the vein of Death's Human album, I was starting to wonder if it was time for me to exit.

The latest from Gruesome is only a two song 7 inch...one new one in the form of Fragments Of Psyche, and a cover of Death's Choke On It. While Human isn't a go-to Death album for me, this new song hits all the right buttons. Gruesome nail the Death sound perfectly once again.

900 pressed on oxblood colored vinyl.

Second Dimension Of Gruesome

Gruesome were never out to break new ground or push the boundaries of Metal. With their debut album last year, the band's only mission was to pay tribute to Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P.) and those early Death records. Savage Land was a deliberate nod to the greatness of Leprosy and Spiritual Healing, and they nailed that sound so well, it became one of my favorite records that year.

I expected Gruesome to come raging in, bludgeon us with some old school Death Metal, and then ride off to the gates of Hell. I figured that they would be "one and done", and that would be it. So I was surprised to hear that the band was releasing a follow up EP this year.

This time around, Gruesome are still paying tribute, but instead take us back to the sound of Death's debut, Scream Bloody Gore. Things are a bit more raw this time around...the vocals a bit more guttural...and it still feels like some long lost basement tapes from Chuck.

300 pressed on splatter vinyl.

Gruesome Death Worship

Suffering from Record Store Day hangover, I swore to myself that I wasn't going to buy any new records for a while. I'd spent way more money than I'd intended on RSD, and I needed to chill for a little bit. Four days. I held out for four fucking days.

I was at work, and killing some time and checking out the latest metal news over at Brave Words, when I saw they had a Featured Video for some band called Gruesome. In passing, I might have just kept on walking, but the album art caught my attention, and I figured that I'd give the song a quick listen. I was half expecting that I'd be investing 20 to 30 seconds before quickly moving on, but I couldn't have been more wrong. This was good...no check that...it was great! I did a quick search on the website for my local record store, saw they had a copy of the vinyl in stock, jumped in my car and 15 minutes later I owned the album. Ain't modern technology and convenience a bitch?

Gruesome are a straight up Death worship band, and they aim for the sweet spot of the Leprosy and Spiritual Healing years. Man, those two albums were in heavy rotation for me back in the late 80's and early 90's, and Gruesome is the purest tribute to what Death was doing at that time. The band logo, the artwork, the sound...hell, they even have a song titled Closed Casket...well done, Gruesome, well done.