Chants from Purgatory

First off, I’m totally biased when it comes to Graceless. Not only have I seen one of their very first shows ever, I’ve become good friends with the entire band, I’ve seen them perform on peculiar places, it helped they played on my 50th anniversary party and Wanda and me have been spotted on the Thanks-list of this album, now with my original name (Herman instead of Herrieman ;) ) Enough fanboyage, now the real 2022 deal. The third full length doesn’t need an intro to get fired up, as the previously released digital single Giants is full throttle modern death metal. As far as I can recall, there’s no difference between the digital part and this one, but I have to dig deeper into that. Marc’s drumming is pounding, Jasper’s bass playing is energetic like he’s total master of his instrument. Kreft seems to have added an extra vocal chord, as his voice sounds more thrilled and wider ranged, somehow. Björn has taught a few new tricks for his solos too. Will this standard go through until the end? Yes and no. In quality of songs, yes. Same drum rolls, same bass technique? No. Same speed? No, as in the title track the first Gorefest-break (vocally and in riffing) takes the killzone. Halfway the song it’s like hearing Scourge of Iron in a Dutch way, this is sooo brutal! No, as Gates to the Gallows begins relatively slow for this band’s normal pace. Heavy, but slow.

So far, it’s a 100/100 score to me. The artwork is a set of demonic, hell-like drawings by Daemorph Art. The picture shows one of the four horses of the Apocalypse, a Kraken-like creature, double headed D&D features, loads of corpses, fire and teeth; it makes me want to explore it like I did with Beneath the Remains and Cause of Death and that’s a great compliment for the artwork, I say. The sound of the record is balanced, even though I hear it from a small set (first time was off YT through laptop speakers; I’d rather test my JBL-8 speakers with this CD). When the breaks roll in, there’s no gap in music like some OSDM records still have. When the band speeds up, all instruments are still clearly recognizable. There is some Exodus-like riffing in Gates to the Gallows and apart from Bolt Thrower (obvious? Yeah, as Kreft wears a BT shirt on the inlay) and there are more heros of old to be heard as influence. 1990-Iron Maiden comes to mind, Master of Puppets, Hell Awaits, Paradise Lost – Draconian Times.

Genuine doom is also present on the record, as the break in the record, three songs in, is the successor of Embrace the Rain. Not without reason the band has a Never Forgotten chapter following the Thanks list: Pim, Sven, Trevor, L.G. and Enni (organizer of many shows in Germany). This song has one of the first twin solos the band ever recorded. Nyctophilia (look up that word, it makes sense to the lyrics ;) ) is doom death in great form. The sense of loss and being left out is so alive here, it makes my hairs stand up.

Speed metal part on a death metal album? Why not? Life of Agony feel in riffs? OK, done. Uptempo slashers, ready for the pit? Found. Have you listened to Carnation – Reincarnation? Probably. On and on going riffs, melodic or brutal, fast as a shark shreddings? Yup. Even an attempt at an Arch Enemy roll is not hidden. The band has grown. Again.

Do I find something negative on this record? Up to the song Saint… no. Only thing I can think of is that it’s hard for the band to choose songs to play live, as all songs are killer. Blood of the Brave had been played several times before this CD was released, so I knew what to expect and beforehand: what to love! The band still uses some phrasing like found on their previous releases, but no death metal enthusiast will complain about that. Certainly not me, I was, I am and I always will be a fan of this band. There hasn’t been a CD this year that thrilled me so much. 99/100. And not only because I’m a fanboy.