Photo by Ryan Tamm
Death metal defenders of the old GRUESOME today unveil the official new video for “Fatal Illusions” off the impending Twisted Prayers full-length.
Watch the full NSFW video below or on YouTube HERE and listen on digital streaming services HERE.
Issues vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey, “‘Fatal Illusions’ is a track that was truly co-written by Dan, Gus and myself musically and it was a lot of fun to arrange everyone’s riffs while we put the song together. One of the coolest things about this new record, for me personally, is that the writing has become more and more of a team effort, which is invigorating and keeps things interesting for us. When looking at Spiritual Healing for inspiration, one of the more depressing realizations that I came to as far as the lyrics, was that many of the topics that DEATH were addressing back in 1990 are still major issues today. As everyone knows, mass shootings have reached epidemic proportions in this country and we felt that it was a very ‘death metal’ appropriate topic to tackle. This tune is more about the delusions that lead someone to commit this kind of violence; the mindset that would make someone take such a drastic and tragic course of action. Before anyone starts projecting their own politics on the song, this is not an anti or pro-gun song. This is an anti-mass shooting song. And if you think that there’s anything controversial about that, you can fuck right off.”
Watch the previously released, Jeffrey Sisson-directed video for “Inhumane” and the lyric video for “A Waste Of Life” below.
GRUESOME recently partnered with Decibel Magazine to share their cover of “Legion Of Doom” by Chuck Schuldiner’s pre-Death project Mantas. The recording was included the June 2018 issue as a special pictured flexi disc. Stream the exclusive track below.
GRUESOME – featuring current and former members of Exhumed, Possessed, Malevolent Creation, etc. – will return with its second full-length, Twisted Prayers this June. The eight-track offering follows Death’s paradigm shift during the Spiritual Healing era, incorporating more cerebral, melodic instrumentation with elements of thrash and thought-provoking, socially conscious lyrics. Recorded at New Constellation Studios in Orlando, Florida with producer Jarrett Pritchard (Exhumed, 1349, Goatwhore, Wolvhammer) who has been instrumental in crafting the band’s sonic homage, Twisted Prayers features GRUESOME doing what they do best across over forty minutes of unholy hymns with lurid melodies and vulgar atmospheres. The band has once again teamed up with the legendary artist Ed Repka (Death, Atheist, Massacre) for the album’s blasphemous cover art in addition to legendary Death guitarist James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Testament) for a pair of special guest guitar solos. Bow your heads and worship at the altar of GRUESOME!
GRUESOME’s Twisted Prayers is due out June 1st on CD, LP, deluxe LP, cassette, and digital formats via Relapse Records. Physical packages are available via Relapse.com HERE and digital downloads/streaming services at THIS LOCATION. The deluxe LP edition of the album includes an accompanying flexi disc featuring companion artwork and a cover of Possessed’s “The Exorcist”.
GRUESOME has announced two exclusive shows in Florida with labelmates Exhumed before kicking off a European headlining tour this summer. Beginning July 19th, the trek will travel through two dozen cities and includes appearances at Obscene Extreme 2018, Wacken Open Air, Partysan Open Air and more. See all confirmed dates below.
GRUESOME:
7/14/2018 Crowbar – Tampa, FL w/ Exhumed
7/15/2018 Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL w/ Exhumed
7/19/2018 Obscene Extreme 2018 – Trutnov, CZ
7/20/2018 Red & Black – Warzawa, PL
7/21/2018 Hydrozagadk – Chorzow, PL
7/22/2018 Modra Vopice – Prague, CZ
7/23/2018 Free & Easy Festival – Munich, DE
7/24/2018 Durer Kert – Budapest, HU
7/25/2018 Metaldays – Tolmin, SL
7/26/2018 Viper Room – Wien, AT
7/27/2018 Master Of The Unicorn – Ernsthausen, DE
7/28/2018 Stonehenge Festival – Steenwijk, NL
7/29/2018 Bastard Club – Osnabruck, DE
7/30/2018 Immerhin – Wurzburg, DE
7/31/2018 Nomansland – Volmerange-les-mines, FR
8/01/2018 7er Club – Mannheim, DE
8/02/2018 Wacken Open Air – Wacken, DE
8/03/2018 Klubb Dissonans – Jonkoping, SE
8/04/2018 The Crypt – Linkoping, SE
8/05/2018 Underwerket – Valby/Copenhagen, DK
8/07/2018 Chemiefabrik – Desden, DE
8/08/2018 Musik und Frieden – Berlin, DE
8/09/2018 Partysan Open Air – Schlotheim, DE
8/10/2018 Das Bett – Frankfurt, DE
8/11/2018 Helvete – Oberhausen, DE
8/12/2018 Alcatraz Open Air – Kortrijk, BE
MultiÂ-state death metal monster GRUESOME was born out of guitarist/vocalist Matt Harvey and drummer Gus Rios’ mutual involvement with the Death To All tours (Harvey served as frontman for the original miniÂtour and Rios performed “Baptized In Blood” and worked with DTA drummer Sean Reinert on the following US tour where Harvey’s other band Exhumed filled in as support). After discussing and discarding the idea of putting together another incarnation of DTA to focus exclusively on the first two albums, Harvey half-jokingly suggested that the pair write their own songs in intentional homage to Death. It wasn’t long before the idea gained traction, and the band soon had five tracks written. With Harvey writing in California, Rios recruited Possessed guitarist Daniel Gonzalez and Derketa bassist Robin Mazen to record the material in Florida, while Harvey tracked his vocals on the West Coast.
Gruesome released a pair of single-song demos in 2014 and were quickly signed by Relapse Records. The band’s debut full-length Savage Land, a truly gruesome slab of Leprosy-styled death metal, was released in April 2015. As evidenced by the Ed Repka (Death, Vio-lence, Megadeth, Massacre, etc.) cover art, GRUESOME was humbly determined to keep the classic sound of Death alive as faithfully as possible.
After the very positive reception of their debut from fans and critics alike, GRUESOME continued their homage to the Death catalog, promptly sinking their teeth into the savagery of Scream Bloody Gore. Their second release, the Dimensions Of Horror EP, was a six-song slab of grisly, bone-breaking anthems that proved that no matter the decade, old-school death metal is always relevant, brutal, and irresistible. The music video for the title track perfectly captured the record’s VHS horror sensibility and further raised the band’s profile, leading to shows across the US and Europe. The band followed Dimensions… up with a 7″ titled Fragments Of Psyche, which showcased their versatility. With guest drummer Sean Reinert (Death, Cynic), the band dove head-first into the more technical Human era of Death’s sound, which was a sharp contrast to the band’s first two releases, which exclusively reveled in old-school g(l)ory.
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