Date: 2020
Total Time 19:53
Label: Relapse Records
An American Death Metal collaboration between EXHUMED and GRUESOME for the release of the split “Twisted Horror”, with the first contributing three new songs and the second two fresh compositions. EXHUMED can be regarded as Death/Grind Metal veterans, as they were formed in 1990, got disbanded at 2005 and reunited in 2010 and continue to this day with remarkable releases. The Old School Death Metal band GRUESOME were formed in 2014 and are the “master-thieves” of the genre, an opinion I will justify later on!
The first side of the spit includes the compositions by EXHUMED and I can say that I was caught unprepared and it blew my mind. The band surprised me, as I was expecting some average compositions and instead I heard three outstanding Death metal songs with some Grind elements, reminiscent of the titanic CARCASS and, to be precise, of their best period in my humble opinion, of their majestic album entitled “Necroticism – Descanting The Insalubrious”.
Now, to the second side that includes the two songs of the “master-thieves” of Death Metal GRUESOME. The band is surely envious of the infamous John Dillinger from the same town as them, who robbed banks, so they thought they should do something similar with DEATH’s songs. I will be very strict with them because, shamelessly, since 2014 that they were formed, they have been blatantly stealing Chuck Schuldiner’s riffs, changing them slightly or not changing them at all and using them to release albums, thinking they can fool us! When they first started, they declared that they are a project to honour DEATH’s and Chuck Schuldiner’s legacy and they ended up being a proper band making money out of this. As if we need some GRUESOME to remind us of them, when we still buy the 50th re-release of “Leprosy” and “Symbolic”…
In conclusion, the split deserves to be in any Death Metal fan’s collection only for the amazing and highly invigorating songs by EXHUMED. I wish the band follows this musical direction in their next album. As for GRUESOME, as I wrote earlier, they have no reason of existence and I hope they disband as soon as possible. I will rate each side separately because I do not wish to be unfair towards EXHUMED.
Rating: EXHUMED: 7.5/10, GRUESOME: 3/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: EXHUMED – Facebook Page, GRUESOME – Facebook Page
