Whilst being used as a term of nostalgia revelling endearment ,anorak, conjures up an image of a grump that is set in their ways. Releasing their first album in six years our anoraks Bloodbath had enough to prove. With the metal scene always changing to become an amorphous sonic blob its easy to get left behind in this day an age. With bands constantly sprouting and comebacks being more apparent than ever. Concentrating all their efforts on their new release, Bloodbath have proved that they are holding fast, that Grand Morbid Funeral is as old school as it gets.
From the opening howl in “Let The Stillborn Come To Me” our undead sermon begins, straight out of hell itself new singer Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost has more than proved that he can fit in Akerfeldts sizeable shoes. Wailing throughout the record, the singer is simultaneously the personifaction of anguish giving the songs a truly evil atmosphere. All the while retaining a sense of the authoritative, making him an inspired choice for their new singer. Dressed in dark melodies “Church of Vastitas” appears in shrouded mystery to greet the listener, not in the cheesy keyboards heavy over dramatic B-movie horror of Cradle of Filth. More in the ghostly foreboding, beckoning that it be followed.
On the entirety of our eleven track voyage to the other side gloom is ever present coating our ears, courtesy particularly to guitarist and founding member Anders “Blakkheim” Nystrom delivering rotten riffs left right and centre “My Torture” including some scathing solo’s a real highlight of the albums guitar work. The wonderfully woeful “Beyond Cremation” ramps up the atmosphere with carefully placed keys creating the perfect balance between the heavy thrashing.
However atmosphere is not everything, Grand Morbid Funeral‘s true ace in the hole is the song writing. Varying song structures, from the blistering riffs of “Famine Of God’s Creation” to the hypnotic crawl of “Anne” Bloodbath have recreated their sound that all of us fell in love with on their classics. Nevertheless they bring a certain modern touch to the recording. The guitars sound wonderful, gearing up each song like the rust coated chainsaw’s they are. Along with Martin “Axe” Axenrot’s drumming the driving power behind the ferocity of “His Infernal Necropsy“. Worth a mention is the production on the album. Amidst the madness of the tracks the instruments sing, being crystal clear whilst retaining the grit that goes hand in hand with the classic Bloodbath sound whilst injecting a modern age feel.
Although the band maybe studiously rooted in old school death metal there are small influences of modern day that creep in, take the Watain style leads “Total Death Exhumed“. The band have created interesting songs that are satellite from the album’s orbit. Ensuring that the memorable solo from furious blaster, come crawler “Mental Abortion” remains in your head. Finishing off with the albums title track “Grand Morbid Funeral” lumbering slowly back to its crypt that ends the album of a fantastically sorrowful finale.
Grand Morbid Funeral, like the phantoms of old, will forever haunt you with each listen. The misery laden songs aided by its small nuances creates subtle ambience whilst always retaining the energy and sheer violence of their relentless riffing. Whilst most metal bands seem to be looking down into the grave of old school death metal Bloodbath are the only ones able to rise from it.
When once they were a band influenced by old school legends they now eclipse anyone attempting to replicate the classic dread driven death metal sound. A brilliant record from start to finish that proves that sometimes anoraks are right. Essential.
