Gruesome- Twisted Prayers (Album Review)

Musician: Gruesome
Album Title: Twisted Prayers 
Genre/ Subgenre: Death Metal
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: June 5, 2018

Twisted Prayers is the second full length album from American death metal act Gruesome and continues the Death worship that the band so very expertly specializes in. This time around the sound clearly draws its inspiration from Death's masterful album Spiritual Healing, which saw the band expanding their sound with more melodic passages and more mature and thought provoking lyrics.

As a result, this album too sees Gruesome mature and explore a thrashier and more melodic sound, with lyrics moving away from the horror love of their earlier work. This leads to an impressive monster that will please anyone who misses the early days of the sub-genre and, of course, those who long for Death styled music. Topping off the Death love is the kick ass and sick cover by Ed Repka who has worked with Gruesome before and, of course, worked on the first couple of Death albums.

The musicianship is stellar as should be any band that dares to walk Death worshiping territory. The hate filled "A Waste of Life" opens with a Chuck Schuldiner-esque riff and goes into a song that is alternately chugging and driving and remains constantly pummeling. "Fate" has another incredible intro that leads into a sound that mixes a thrash and death metal style that is absolutely glorious in its delivery! The battering "Fatal Illusions" attacks the listener from the very first lick and charges right through you, like the chainsaw that it's guitar sound sometimes recalls. The title track is a ferocious beast that shreds and rips through the sound barrier and might just be the best song on this incredible release. 

It should also be noted that Gruesome released two cover songs. One is of a Mantas song (the original name for Death) "Legion of Doom" which is released as part of Decibal magazine's Flexi Series in their June 2018 issue. You can listen to that track exclusively HERE. A cover of Possessed's classic "The Exorcist" will be released on the deluxe LP of this album which is available at Relapse.com. Both, covers are fucking killer!

And, killer is THE perfect way to describe Twisted Prayers. Technically amazing and crushing music from beginning to end, this is truly an album for fans who long for this form of Death style music. Gruesome are the fucking masters at bringing it to life in this current era and as such this kick ass album is their gift to us. 

4.5 out of 5

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Gruesome- Dimensions of Horror (Album Review)

Musician: Gruesome
Album Title: Dimensions Of Horror
Genre/ Subgenre: Death metal
Label: Relapse
Release Date: May 20, 2016

Gruesome sound and play death metal that is a love letter and tribute to the early sound of the fathers of the genre, Death. They made their debut in 2015 with Savage Land. They're back this year with the what is one of the best EPs I have heard thus far in 2016.

They present that Death love right from the get go. The driving and pounding drums by Gus Rios make for a frontal attack you won't soon forget. They're accompanied by Robin Mazen's bass to give the album a thick and heavy sound, throughout. The guitars by Daniel Gonzalez and Matt Harvey (who also does the vocals) are alternately soaring and crunching. It's all played with a ferocity and technicality that old-school death metal fans will eat up. Harvey's aforementioned vocals are the right mix of anger, gruff, and growl, yet clear enough to get at least some of the gory images the band seems to love.

That love of gore, death, and horror imagery abound in the killer songs. The full force attack of "Raped by Darkness" is all about Sam Raimi's classic Evil Dead. Other standout tracks include the opener "Forces of Death", the title track "Dimensions of Horror" (the gory video, of which, you can see below) and the crunch and drive of "Hellbound". The finishing touches of old-school Death love is the fucking kick ass cover done by Ed Repka, who has worked on covers for not just just Death but Massacre, Atheist, and Megadeth, as well. By the way, do you realize that the zombie is reading from the Necronomicon?! Ash (Evil Dead hero) might need to find him and kick his ass!

If you love this type of music and long for the days like it, then Dimensions of Horror is for you. It will sedate your hunger for it. They only problem I can see is that you'll want more. Well, we'll just have to eagerly await their next full release for that now, won't we?

* * * * out of  * * * * * 

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(Video) A Fun Talk with the Awesome Draven Star at AVN Expo 2016

It's always great to catch up with my friend the absolutely gorgeous and hot as hell, Draven Star, but it has been a while since the last time that I interviewed her. In fact, that was in 2013 and honestly that's way too fucking long ago. So, we took it upon ourselves to correct this by interviewing her at this past Jan's Adult Entertainment Expo. As always, Draven's fun and awesome attitude come right off the screen, as we talk about the AVN Awards, her recent work, where she was dressed up as Wednesday Addams and Death from the Sandman comics (!), and much more.
Check it all out in the video below:

 

 

 

 

Draven and Kleio, two of the coolest and most awesome hotties that you will ever meet.

All photography, camera work, and video editing by BAS Photography & Design.  

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Death and Obituary- Live at Best Buy Theatre 11/30/14

 

Over on MetalSucks.com, I had entered a contest to see a death metal concert at the Best Buy Theater in NYC, featuring Death (AKA Death (DTA)) and Obituary. I really didn't think I would win. In fact, after a while, I had written it off completely. Then I got some great news last week, just when I could use some awesome news. I had fuckin won!! Woohoo!!! And, so on Nov. 30, 2014, a Sun night, I was off to the show.

First off was Obituary, the Tampa, FLA death metal legends, who have recently released their newest album, Inked in Blood, their best since Back from the Dead, I think. They played a couple off of that killer album as well as a couple of classicks from their back catalog, like "Chopped in Half" and "Slowly We Rot". I've been a huge fan of the band since college, when World Demise came out. They were the first death metal band that I ever got the complete discography of. As such, it was great to finally see them live!

And, man did they ever deliver!! They sound just as good live as they do on their albums!! The band was tight and brutal. They fucking tore up the stage. Meanwhile, signer John Trady, always one of my favorite death metal vocalists, had that fucking classic raspy growl of his at full throttle. He sounded awesome as hell. And, looked fucking cool with long as fuck hair. Obituary are must see live band, for fans of death metal, for sure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, then it was time for Death to come on. Now, as you probably know, Death are legends in the metal world. They are the world's first true death metal band. Founded by the late/ great Chuck Schuldiner, legendary guitarist and vocalist of the band, he would go on to become one of the most beloved and respected men in the history of extreme metal, if not metal in general. It was a truly sad moment in metal music, when he passed away, due to complications from his battle with brain cancer. Death are my favorite death metal band of all time. The current incarnation known as Death (DTA which stands for Death To All) tours in honor of his memory.

I had my doubts about how Death can play sans Chuck, by holy fuck did they ever deliver!! Props has to be given to the amazing band, including drum god Gene Hoglan. He is a monster on the drums!! This is second time that I have seen him play. Last time I saw him live was when he preformed with Testament. But, of course, you need a great frontman that has the balls and the talent to play and sign Chuck's stuff. That man was Max Phelps of Cynic, who most definitely delivered on all that was needed. He totally shredded on guitar and had the clear, growl style that made Chuck one of my all time favorite vocalists in extreme metal. This dude deserves all the props in the world!

They played music from all their albums, ripping through classics like "Open Casket", "Symbolic", "The Philosopher", "Zombie Ritual", and many more. The night ended with two final classicks in the form of "Crystal Mountain" and a KILLER performance of the masterful "Pull the Plug". And, all of this was done with loving tribute to Chuck, as we fans chanted his name all night. In the end, all this amounted to what was one of the most energetic, fun, and kick ass shows that I have been to all year long, and beyond. All hail Death! All hail Chuck!

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The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 13: 50-41

We are now in the top 50 album covers! And, here we go:

50. Anthrax- We've Come for You All- The ninth studio album, and last one with John Bush, by one of thrash metal's Big Four has comic book artist Alex Ross art with the band surrounded by arms with the Anthrax pentagram behind them.







49. Morbid Angel- Altars of Madness- The debut album by these Floridan death metal masters has a very cool cover of "a flat disk made of a fossil material, that has captured souls" by Dan Seagrave.







48. Bleeding Through- The Truth- The fourth album by this American metalcore band is probably their best and most popular. It also has their best cover art. It's a photographic cover of a ripped out jaw. Bloody and in black and white, this is a striking and awesome image!






47. Def Leppard- Pyromania- The third album by this British hard rock act is my personal favorite of theirs. It also has their best, and most controversial, cover: that of a bullseye on a building top set ablaze. It was enough to have some stores refuse to carry it, and music censorship loving Tipper Gore flash it during the PMRC trials.





46. Danzig- III: How the Gods Kill- The third and highest charting album by Danzig has a magnificent cover taken from H.R. Giger's Meister und Margeritha (The Master and Margarita). Giger modified it, so that the erect penis in the painting became a dagger with the Danzig skull, which in turn was used on the cover to the single, "Dirty, Black Summer".





45. Cattle Decapitation- Monolith of Inhumanity- The sixth, and so far best album,  from these American deathgrinders has a Simian humanoid ripping out the flesh from his face on the cover. He is surrounded by bones and garbage and in the background, a monolith and other simians. It's gory and cool and recalls a nightmarish take on Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.





44. Entombed- Clandestine- The second album by this Swedish death metal act features a beautifully unusual cover of some other worldly place.








43. Motorhead- Rock 'n' Roll- The eighth album by these British metal masters, had a very different and intricate idea by it's artist Joe Petagano for it's cover. But, the band went with this cool take on Snaggletooth, instead. It looks awesome, so that's all that matters. right? 






42. Dio- Holy Diver- The classic debut album by Dio has one of metal's most iconic covers: in it, their mascot Murray has a broken chain and there is a priest chained up with his head sticking out of the water. Dio has said don't "judge a book by it's cover" on the meaning of this amazing piece of art.





41. Death- Leprosy- The second album by Death is an out right classic of the subgenre. As is its' awesome cover of a cloaked man suffering from leprosy.

 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 12: 60-51

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 11: 70-61

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 10: 80-71

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 9: 90-81 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 7: 110-101 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 6: 120-111 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 5: 130-121

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 4: 140-131 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 3: 150-141

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 2: 160-151

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 1: 175-16

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The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 12: 60-51

60. Dimmu Borgir- Stormblast MMV - This rerecording of Dimmu Borgir's seminal second album has a faceless Satanic creature adorn it.








 
59. Cannibal Corpse- The Wretched Spawn- The ninth album by  the reigning death metal's masters of gore has a sick/ kick ass cover by Vincent Locke. In it, a nude woman, surrounded by monsters, gives birth to a monster that rips right out of her.







58. Sodom- Persecution Mania- The second album from these German thrashers saw them moving away from the black metal and Satanic themes of the first album and into war and politics. The cover of a solider with a gas mask and an M16 assault rifle perfectly captures that.






57. Death- Scream Bloody Gore- The debut album, and first true death metal album in the world, from the fathers of that brutal subgenre is a classic. And, also classic is its' grim reaper filled cover.








56. Kreator- Phantom Antichrist (deluxe edition)- While both covers are cool, I'll give the edge to the deluxe edition of the thirteenth studio album by these German thrashers. The fantastical cover has their mascot seemingly ruling over a mystic land.






55. Morbid Angel- Blessed Are the Sick- The second release from this Floridan death metal act is a classic. It is also the first death album, that I ever bought, and as such has a special place in my dark heart. The amazingly beautiful and evil cover is from the painting "Les Trésors de Satan" by Jean Delville.






54. Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power- This sixth album from Pantera is one of the greatest ever made in the history of the genre. And, it's vicious photographic cover by Brad Guice, where a man gets punched in the face (reportedly he got hit thirty times!!), really captures the raw power and brutality from this classic.





53. Exodus- Tempo of the Damned- The sixth album by these thrashers has a cool cover that is seemingly inspired by the Phantom of the Opera.








52. Suffocation- Pinnacle of Bedlam- The seventh studio effort by Suffocation has one of my favorite covers from last year. Artist Raymond Swanland gives us a monster holding flaming scales.

 





 
51. Dimmu Borgir- In Sorto Diaboli- Dimmu bookends this part of my list with their eighth studio effort. In it's cover we see a Baphomet with boobs. Which proved too much here in the US, where it had to be covered by a slipcase. Regardless, or more so because of the controversy, this remains a beautiful, cool, and evil cover by artist Joachim Luetke.

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 11: 70-61

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 10: 80-71

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 9: 90-81 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 7: 110-101 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 6: 120-111 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 5: 130-121

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 4: 140-131 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 3: 150-141

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 2: 160-151

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 1: 175-16

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