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GRUESOME
Savage Land
Relapse Records

I know what you're saying, GRUESOME is just another supergroup featuring members of EXHUMED and POSSESSED! That is exactly what I am saying! The members of the band including Matt Harvey from EXHUMED, Daniel Gonzales from POSSESSED, as well as Robin Mazen from CASTRATOR and Gus Rios have joined unholy forces to bring to you one of the best forms of tribute you can lay upon the legacy of a fallen Metal hero. This album is testament to the fact that Chuck Schuldiner and what he created with DEATH, combining Death Metal with progressive undertones, will always be a force to reckon with when new fans discover the annals of the Metal bands of the past. There are no bones about it, “Savage Land” is true and unadulterated DEATH worship, and my friends, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Who cares if it is just a tribute album? It is definitely most welcomed and will have a place in my collection for many years to come.

From the first notes in the album opener, “Savage Land”, GRUESOME bring their love for DEATH to the forefront all while ripping your face off. Matt Harvey channels his best Chuck vocals right from the get go, and does it with his own style. I think this is one of my favorite aspects of this album. Harvey really does inhabit the vocal style of Chuck so well, from delivery and inflection, and really does embody Mr. Schuldiner. In fact, the band goes out of their way to perform a loving tribute to one of the greatest Death metal songwriters. The twin guitar flurries from Matt Harvey and Daniel Gonzalez provide enough monstrosity to the riffage at the same time delivering memorable guitar harmonies that play off the thundering bass and pounding drums. Favorite tracks include “Hideous”, which has one of the most memorable guitar harmonies on the album and I defy you to stop humming the intro after listening just once. The next track, “Gangrene”, fades in with a tribal drum beat before the guitar harmonies take over and the gurgling vocals of Matt Harvey set the pace for the song.

Trust me, if you were a fan of early DEATH material, including 1988’s masterpiece Leprosy, you will wholly be a fan of GRUESOME. Thank you to the members of the band for putting together such a fitting tribute to a mastermind of Death Metal, and a big thank you to Chuck Schuldiner for being the pioneer of the genre that he was. Many many horns up!

4.25 Out Of 5.0

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