ALBUM REVIEW: Twisted Prayers – Gruesome
Formed in 2014 by EXHUMED‘s Matt Harvey, alongside Robin Mazen (CASTRATOR), Gus Rios (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION) and Daniel Gonzalez (POSSESSED) as a tribute to the legacy of inarguably one of the most important bands in death metal history, GRUESOME‘s discography is a collection of pure, unadulterated, and excellent DEATH worship – and their sophomore LP, Twisted Prayers, is no different. GRUESOME have always worn their love of DEATH on their sleeves, and the band has never claimed to be anything other than utterly devoted to honouring the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner.
GRUESOME‘s release schedule has been fairly intense, releasing their debut in spring 2015, with two EPs, Dimensions of Horror and Fragments of Psyche, following in 2016 and 2017 respectively, with Twisted Prayers standing as their fourth release in four years. Their debut, Savage Lands, drew comparisons to the classic Leprosy from critics and fans alike, and its clear from even a cursory listen that Twisted Prayers as a whole is heavily influenced from the Spiritual Healing period of DEATH’s timeline. This is abundantly apparent across the record, from the album cover to the longer track lengths, and from the style of song-writing to moving away from horror and gore into more societal-themed lyrics.
Old-school to the gore, GRUESOME waste no time with intro tracks or atmospherics, driving straight into the crushing Inhumane, showcasing a heavy dose of groove in the old-school death metal savagery. Twisted Prayers quickly moves into the record’s lead single, A Waste of Life. The track is one of the album’s highlights, with a selection of catchy riffs and vocal lines that make it instantly memorable and a future live-favourite. Just after the midway point of Twisted Prayers, the listener is treated to arguably the heaviest section of the record – the brutal one-two punch of Fatal Illusions and Crusade of Brutality.
Where Fatal Illusions actually sounds a bit more modern than anything else on the album with its up-tempo blast of savagery and lead flares, Crusade of Brutality is much more old-school: rawer in delivery, and with the melodies taking a far more prominent place in the crunching groove of the track. Both songs are undoubtedly album highlights, however, and would be deserving of a place in the live set. Twisted Prayers comes to a close with its title track – carrying a far more ominous atmosphere than displayed on the majority of the record, it seamlessly moves between an unsettling, sinister groove and thrashy blasts of speed that carry a sense of urgency.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for GRUESOME. Will the band continue on with an expiry date, creating offerings to honour each album in DEATH‘s discography? Will they fizzle out before then? Or will the influence of DEATH evolve, seeing them offer new music in a similar vein to what they believe Schuldiner would write post-The Sound of Perseverance? Without a crystal ball no one can know what the future of GRUESOME holds, but fans of old-school death metal should watch their career with interest.
Though it lacks the creative flare of Chuck Schuldiner, GRUESOME are excellent for what they are – unabashed, unapologetic DEATH worship. The song-writing is strong, mirroring Schuldiner’s style well, though several riffs do feel more lifted from DEATH‘s work, rather than inspired by it, and the musicianship is flawless. Fans of the fathers of death metal with an open mind will find a lot of enjoyment from Twisted Prayers and, indeed, the rest of GRUESOME‘s discography. Though unoriginal, the record is true to its purpose, and is a brilliantly fun listen that delivers brutality, groove and classic OSDM from start to finish.
Rating: 8/10
Twisted Prayers is out now via Relapse Records.
Like GRUESOME on Facebook.