Bloodbath are unquestionably masters of ferocious death metal: the Swedes are now some 17 years into their career, and it’s nearly 15 years since their debut release. they’re survivors, too: a succession of lineup changes have done nothing to diminish their ferocity, and following the departure of Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt, ‘Grand Morbid Funeral’ sees them unveil new vocalist Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost.
That ‘Grand Morbid Funeral’ is a frenetically paced squall of guitars and fit-inducing percussion should come as no surprise. It’s billed as ‘the band’s darkest and dirtiest opus yet; an organic collection of filth-ridden tracks straight from the grave’ and ‘rotten to the bone’.
And it is: ‘Grand Morbid Funeral’ is punishingly hard and so raw it bleeds. Copiously.
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‘Total Death Exhumed’ is blisteringly fast, and seems to up the tempo toward the end, a whiplash whirlwind of noise. ‘Anne’ is a churning squall of guitars, while ‘Mental Abortion’ is every bit the grinding maelstrom of noise you’d expect. There’s blinding fretwork aplenty on the searing explosion that is ‘Unite In Agony, and the title track provides a dirgy finale to what is as dark, raw and nasty an album as you’re likely hear this year.
Bloodbath Online
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