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Bliksem-Gruesome_Masterpiece-CD-FLAC-2015-CATARACT
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ARTIST : Bliksem STOREDATE : 00-00-2015
ALBUM : Gruesome Masterpiece RIPDATE : 01-17-2016
YEAR : 2015 RUNTIME : 51:39 min
GENRE : Metal LANGUAGE : English
LABEL : Iron Will GRABBER : EAC Secure
SOURCE : CDDA ENCODER : FLAC 1.2.1
QUALITY : 1021kbps Avg 44.1kHz 2 channels SIZE : 394.4MB
URL : http://tinyurl.com/jl6j587 TRACKS : 10 Files
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01 Crawling In The Dirt 5:24
02 Kywas 3:54
03 Room Without A View 4:37
04 Mistress Of The Damned 5:23
05 The Hunt 5:39
06 Morphine Dreams 9:22
07 Twist The Knife 2:44
08 Barbaric Nation 5:11
09 Fucked Up Avenue 3:56
10 Out Of The Darkness 5:29
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51:39 min
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│ Belgium's Bliksem (Dutch for lightning) follow on from 2013Æs rather │
│ worthy Face The Evil with second full length, Gruesome Masterpiece. │
│ And follow on it does, taking their metal by numbers approach (but │
│ interesting numbers like 13, 69, 666, 80085) and multiplying the ooh │
│ I like that 1 stakes. They also add a few elements to their already │
│ eclectic mix and up the thrash ante 2. But unlike Slayer, the │
│ rhythmic melody of the other Big 3 is still to the 4. (Somehow the │
│ vocals make me think of a bulletbelt sporting, horn throwing, │
│ head-banging James Brown. It sounds nothing like him of course, but │
│ maybe he missed a trick). │
│ │
│ Now I know that for some a new band not breaking new ground is │
│ anathema. But look where the pursuit of the nu took us in the late │
│ 90s and early 2000s. Awful. IÆm always in favour of a band just │
│ writing damn fine tracks. If it innovates, so much the better, but │
│ IÆd much rather reminiscent greatness than ground-breaking guff. So │
│ it should come as no surprise that Gruesome Masterpiece is a love of │
│ NWOBHM and Thrash with a hankering after more than a little Doom │
│ given a modern retro sheen. Frankly not that gruesome (like, say, │
│ your gran showing hairy cleavage) and not a masterpiece itÆs still │
│ an album that will demand multiple listens over multiple years. │
│ Unfortunately the retro crosses the generic line at times which is │
│ naturally going to bring the rating down, but not, if truth be told, │
│ the enjoyment. ItÆs played with such zeal that all can be forgiven. │
│ │
│ Alongside upping the songwriting and riffage Bliksem have added │
│ another arrow to their metal quiver û power ballads in the form of │
│ Mistress Of The Damned and more blatantly in album closer, Out Of │
│ The Darkness. (Bloodgood anyone?) Not 80s MTV fodder throwback so │
│ worry not, but more of an epic build. And centre stage in the │
│ albumÆs slow triumvirate is Morphine Dreams the true epic both in │
│ length and feel. An Alice In Chains sensibility, vocals reminiscent │
│ of Skunk AnansieÆs Skin but all with a doom undercarriage more than │
│ worthy of licking SabbathÆs danglies, it certainly soothes the pain. │
│ (It also includes a phone noise that has me whip the headphones off │
│ every time to go answer. Damn them). │
│ │
│ For the rest, reliance is on riffage, not soundscape, adrenaline, │
│ not anger and as already said, influence, not innovation. Hooks │
│ abound and despite the dark album and song titles you canÆt help but │
│ gyrate bits and pieces of yourself and table drum with gleeful │
│ abandon. │
│ │
│ Simply put, if you love metal, you'll love Bliksem. │
│ │
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