01. Invocation
02. Kronos the Devourer
03. Steel Coffins
04. White Waters of South
05. Blood Monk (Goatlord cover)
06. Worship the Kraken
07. Below the Thunders...
08. Devonian Tyrant
09. Japetus the Ice Gate (feat. Lasse Pyykkö)
10. Typhoon is Coming
Comment:
2nd album by this russian band that plays a heavy and catchy classic brand of Death Metal the old school way that will please the ears of lovers of bands like ASPHYX, BENEDICTION, AUTOPSY, OBITUARY, MONSTROSITY, 1st SIX FEET UNDER...
Sometimes, coincidences can capture our attention without being done in a way that we can’t deny, and I’m not speaking about some kind of copying of something like that, just simple things, like band names, line-ups, and the like. Being extremely honest, the first feature of the Russian quartet GROND that called my personal attention is that they have a drummer/singer, a rare feature in the days we are living now. Here they are with their latest album, “Worship the Kraken”.
I’ll speak honestly: my mind compared the feature of the drummer/singer with a classic quartet in Death Metal, the Concord gods from AUTOPSY. But the comparison ends here, because these Russian slaughterers have their own musical personality. They play a sick and insane form into Death Metal, sounding like a fusion of the elements that you can find on bands as MORBID ANGEL, CANNIBAL CORPSE, ENTOMBED, CANCER, and something from AUTOPSY (specially on the technical approach used on the rhythmic session), but have in mind: these guys have guts and personality, so let their music blow your ears and devastate your minds!
Even being aggressive and sick, their musical work has a very good technical insight, and these features demand a good sound production. They got it, because they don’t try to sound as the forefathers of Death Metal, with a raw quality without need, but here they sound pretty clean and with defined instrumental tunes. This aspect makes the songs from “Worship the Kraken” truly tasteful. Sometimes as fast as hell, other ones slow and bitter, they really can conquer every Death Metal addict that listens to their work.
Be prepared for a massive Death Metal slaughter!
Best brutality assaults: “Kronos the Devourer”, where the tempos oscillate between some fast and aggressive ones with some slow and technical parts (where bass guitar and drums are really creating excellent technical moments); the raw and bitter grasp of “Steel Coffins” (again the contrast between fast and slow moments is presented, but these guys know how to create insane riffs and sickening solos), the raw and energetic Death Metal rush from “White Waters of South”, their personal version for “Blood Monk”, an old song from old Black Metal lords from GOATLORD (that here gained a more violent outfit); the hooking tempos from the bitterness called “Worship the Kraken” (fine grunts with hooking slow parts), and the slaughters called “Japetus the Ice Gate” (that features Lasse Pyykkö) and “Typhoon is Coming” (featuring Kostek Dolganov).
Be brutalized, be captured by their Traditional Death Metal ways, and worship GROND.
Stepping furthering into the abyss, Russian death metal horde Grond have taken the H.P. Lovecraft influences both in their sound as well as lyrical matters as these influx of elements into their old-school death metal format turns into a far more dangerous entity than before. Following up the EP release the year before and being the last output as a three-piece outfit, the groups’ sophomore effort was released July 1, 2016 on Xtreem Music.
Considering the bands’ influences, this one comes as no surprise what to expect throughout here with this one really exploring these to it’s fullest extent. Opening up immediately with the churning, deep grooves of the Swedish-style scene with the swirling patterns charging in the mid-tempo realms with a series of blistering patterns in tight, controlled measures. It makes for a wholly aggressive time here with the album’s main rhythms carrying the film along through the atmospheric sections, and with the balancing act carried out here by going for the straightforward, simplistic chug style of riffing there’s the ever-present balance of intensity and aggression with more restrained and controlled setups. In the end, though, that mid-tempo churn ends up being the album’s main downfall. The preponderance of thick, atmospheric riffing that’s present here doesn’t sound in the slightest bit interesting at a slower level as the deceleration into doom-like tempos comes off as entirely draining on the experience as a whole as the counter to the lively mid-tempo elements offer a far less involved sense of energy. It comes off without all the same energy and ruthless intensity in these sections which manages to hold off the best sections of the album into spurts that are enjoyable when they appear but still doesn’t come off with the interest level it really should. It’s where the album stumbles, and is what keeps it down.
While it’s not nearly as interesting when it slows itself down into the more doom-centered sections as it does in the more straightforward death metal sections, those overall enjoyable death metal sections are enough to make this a somewhat worthy choice for those into the Locevraftian style of old-school death metal.
Wenn es schon mehr als zehn Jahre dauern muss, bis diese russische Todesblei-Combo endlich mal in Fahrt kommt, dann sollte schon mehr als nur Standardware kommen, sollte man die Band auch wirklich ernsthaft betreiben wollen. Nach dem GROND-Debüt "Howling From The Deep" aus dem Jahr 2013 ist bei den Musikern jedoch endgültig ein Schalter umgelegt worden, der die Band seither zu Höchstleistungen pusht. Aktuelles Beispiel: Der neue Silberling "Worship The Kraken", der richtig tief in die Ursprünge des ganz, ganz fiesen Old-School-Sounds eintaucht und GROND mit einem Schlag zu einer der besten Retro-Death-Metal-Combos der Jetztzeit macht.
Auf "Worship The Kraken" ist das Feeling der entscheidende Faktor, der einen sofort an den Eiern packt. Die Riffs sitzen tief in der Magengrube, die Grooves blasen einen förmlich an die Wand, die Growls drücken auch ganz schön mächtig, und auf technischer Ebene macht den Russen ebenfalls so schnell niemand etwas vor. Mit dem GOATLORD-Cover 'Blood Monk' hat man eine richtig starke Fremdinterpretationen zwischen die eigenen Blasts gesetzt, doch die Attacke steht deswegen keinesfalls still. 'Steel Coffins', 'White Waters Of South' und 'Japetus The Ice Gate' sind die Leckerbissen dieses zehnteiligen Abrisses, der vor allem denjenigen etwas geben dürfte, die den gemeinen Klang des Old-School-Deaths gerne auch mal im reduzierten Tempo hören. Denn genau so häufig wie GROND zur Offensive bläst, nimmt sich die Band auch Zeit für einen quälenden Groove. Und diese vielschichtige Kombination macht "Worship The Kraken" zu einem der heißesten Eisen, die der klassische Death Metal derzeit im Feuer hat. Auf jeden Fall anchecken!
Russian born death metal giants Grond, have been together since 2005. Taking hardly anything from other bands, these guys just keep it simple and right to the point, while still keeping the music ungodly heavy. After some EPs, and a bunch of touring, Grond proves they have no intentions of lightening up or slowing down anytime soon.
Now, picking right up where they left off, they’ve released their brutal first full length album, “Worship the Kraken.” They quickly show you what this album is all about, busting into these doomy, meaty riffs with massive distortion, accompanied by burly, deep growling vocals. They show off some old school influence, like in their badass cover of Goatloard’s “Blood Monk.” With nasty, crunchy chugs and glorious breakdowns and a ton of sweet tempo changes, the talent is easy to hear. And you can’t miss the screaming dive bombs and face melting solos, which fit perfectly with the catchy riffs and killer squeals and annihilating drums. Also, very in depth lyric writing sang with monstrous grinding vocals and insanely clear production add an unnecessary weight to an already massively heavy album. If this balance of aggression, speed and groove doesn’t get your blood pumping you must be dead.
For someone like me there’s nothing like good death metal. Casually listening to sheer intensity about death and destruction may seem a bit odd to many people, but to us there isn’t anything better. The only problem is finding new bands that can fit our own personal bills. Allow me to introduce to the rest of you Grond who has a sound that can definitely appeal to all fans of the genre.
Just from that eventful cover art alone you can tell that even before listening to “Worship the Kraken” you’re going to have one hell of a time. Ten tracks, including a very solid Goatlord cover, are found within this album and while they’re not the absolute catchiest samples of death metal that I’ve heard before, but is definitely the most intense of the genre that has a catchy-ish sound to it that makes it very ideal for any casual listener by far. And it’s not like Grond are trying to be ground breaking or pull off something new and supposedly fantastical to appeal to a niche crowd, either. No, they just do good ol’ face melting death metal complete with brutal vocals, crushing guitars, a bass that sounds like a fucking tractor engine (and I mean that in the best way possible, of course), drums that could be the doldrums of death itself, and an overall sound that is the pure essence of both modern and old school death metal. Then by the end of “Worship the Kraken” if you don’t want to go back through those blood drenched riffs and experience the straight up nastiness all over again, then you, my friend, need to pay less attention the music and just let the intensity flow through you.
This is a pure death metal experience the likes of which you could only find in the underground, and Grond prove that there is still so much unknown talent to be found out in the world with “Worship the Kraken” being a prime example, and the only one they could ever need.
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