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░ ██ ██ Artist: Grotesque Deity ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Bloodream █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-05-29 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Infernal Devastation Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD EP ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ It's unclear exactly when the Mexican death metal █
█ outfit Grotesque Deity came into existence, but if █
█ you go by their Facebook timeline, it could be █
█ placed around early 2014, maybe late 2013. Since █
█ formation, the band has put their time in with █
█ live shows and writing new material, which █
█ includes the "You Were Flesh" demo track they █
█ streamed on-line. For 2015, the five-piece entered █
█ the studio to lay down what has become their debut █
█ EP, Bloodream, which was handled by Infernal █
█ Devastation Records. But is this first outing a █
█ promising one, or is it better left buried in the █
█ depths from which it sounds as though it were █
█ excavated from? █
█ Bloodream stands as a largely analog recording, █
█ bellowing from the depths with a deep, pulsating █
█ bass presence behind heavily distorted low-tuned █
█ guitars that often show a melodic brutality akin █
█ to Swedish death metal giants Dismember. The █
█ subtle grooves of "Lord of Torment" shows off this █
█ presence, though the song itself is buried further █
█ in the mix than some later tracks. The gutturals █
█ are almost indecipherable, sometimes aiming for an █
█ intimidating snarl, though the impact of it is █
█ lost a bit due to how far back the performance █
█ sounds. Thankfully, this doesn't impact the █
█ eeriness the largely mid-tempo performance █
█ carries, especially in the bridge at the two and a █
█ half minute mark that leads to a solid guitar solo █
█ that isn't the most awe-inspiring, but nicely █
█ suits the haunting nineties approach the band █
█ seems to be going for here. "In Dim Abysses" █
█ pushes that snarling a little further in the mix, █
█ laying off the bass guitar a bit for some two-step █
█ pattern that sound both as sinister and vile as █
█ early Autopsy releases. █
█ Of course, the group has their moments of █
█ channelling some mid-career Carcass. "Field Drinks █
█ Blood" isn't exactly the most engaging track of █
█ the EP, though some of the chugs and simpler doom █
█ metal pacing from time to time are respectable, █
█ leaving just enough in the lines of infectious █
█ material to keep the listening engaged above the █
█ somewhat deeper bass guitar presence. The █
█ conclusion, however, does show off some riffs █
█ similar to "Cross My Heart" by the aforementioned █
█ group. "Bloodream" keeps that trudging aspect █
█ alive between spurts of early Possessed-grade █
█ riffs that throw a hint of thrash metal into the █
█ mix for good measure as well. █
█ For a debut EP, Bloodream is a pretty good effort, █
█ though it is missing one thing: Enthusiasm. Of █
█ course the slower, doom heavy passages won't have █
█ much of that aspect at work for the sake of █
█ creating a miserable eeriness, but when the speed █
█ does find itself amped up, even to a steady █
█ mid-tempo, it seems as though the band was kind of █
█ bored while recording their parts. The only time █
█ you genuinely get a sensation of excitement in the █
█ mix is during the bonus track "You Were Flesh", █
█ which isn't quite as deep and pulsing as the rest, █
█ allowing the guitars a chance to really come █
█ through and put some energy into the mix that is █
█ lacking everywhere else for the sake of █
█ bludgeoning bass-driven brutality. Had that █
█ "cavernous" sensation been toned down a bit, █
█ Bloodream would be something to get a little more █
█ excited over. But, as it stands, Grotesque Deity █
█ do show off they have the chops to engage the █
█ listener, and there's no doubt these songs will, █
█ and do, probably slay when done live. If you're █
█ into death metal with some hints of thrash and a █
█ bit of grind here and there, Bloodream is █
█ something worth checking out. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Lord of Torment 3:45 ░
░ 2. Field Drinks Blood 4:06 ░
░ 3. Bloodream 3:50 ░
░ 4. In Dim Abysses 3:46 ░
░ 5. Putrid Salvation 2:35 ░
░ 6. The Chasm of Knowledge 3:07 ░
░ 7. You Were Flesh 4:00 ░
░ 25:09 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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