Hidden Gems & Guilty Pleasures: Gruesome (USA)

Photo credits: Ervin Novak

Gruesome (Progressive Death Metal // USA)

Gruesome’s music is an intentional homage to the first wave death metal scene of Tampa, Florida, specifically Death’s early period. This is an absolutely top notch filthy slab of old school death metal, played by the some of the scene’s most legit players. Featuring current and former members of Exhumed, Possessed, Derkéta, Left To Die, Malevolent Creation, Manntis, Castrator, Dekapitator and more.

Gruesome return with »Silent Echoes«, a ferocious death metal onslaught, fueled by progressive, razor sharp musicianship. Celebrating over a decade as the finest purveyors of old-school death metal inspired by the legendary Chuck Schuldiner and the many iterations of Death, the new album sees Gruesome transition away from the no-frills riff-fests heard on their »Savage Land« and »Twisted Prayers« LPs, and shift towards a more nuanced form of terror. »Silent Echoes« is the quartet’strue put up or shut-up moment for one simple reason: It was written and recorded in the spirit of Death’s 1991 progressive death metal masterpiece, »Human«.

The prolonged gestation period between Gruesome albums was the combination of several factors, yet none more significant than the untimely and unexpected passing of Cynic and »Human« era Death drummer Sean Reinert in 2020. Reinert was the best friend and mentor to Gruesome drummer Gus Rios and was originally slated to produce the album. Instead, Rios, along with vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey, lead guitarist Daniel Gonzalez and bassist Robin Mazen, turned »Silent Echoes« into a tribute to Reinert, whose influence and presence on »Silent Echoes« is everywhere.

»Silent Echoes« is Gruesome’s transmutation into the complex, jazz-influenced fields ploughed on »Human«. As Harvey states, “there’s less winking at the audience on this one,” which is true: The overtly intentional homages found on the band’s previous two albums have been replaced with fluid, agile drum work from Rios, as well as spiraling, multi-faceted guitar riffing from Harvey and Gonzalez, the latter responsible for the album’s melodic leads. Album art was created by Travis Smith (Anathema, Opeth, Katatonia, Amorphis, Overkill, Draconian, Eluveitie).

Gruesome’s third full-length album »Silent Echoes« was released on June 6th, 2025 via Relapse Records. Order your copy HERE.

At a time when the thirst for all things Chuck Schuldiner remains unquenchable, leave it to four accomplished, true, well-intentioned death metal veterans to help continue the man’s legacy.

Courtesy of Relapse Records

Discography:
• »Savage Land« LP (Relapse Records, 2015)
• »Dimensions Of Horror« EP (Relapse Records, 2016)
• »Fragments Of Psyche« EP (Relapse Records, 2017)
• »Legion Of Doom« Single (Decibel Magazine, 2018)
• »Twisted Prayers« LP (Relapse Records, 2018)
• »Twisted Horror« Split (Relapse Records, 2020)
• »Frailty« Single (Relapse Records, 2024)
• »Sabbat / Gruesome« Split (Doomentia Records, 2024)
• »Silent Echoes« LP (Relapse Records, 2025)

Gruesome is:
Matt Harvey – Guitar, Vocals
Dan Gonzalez – Guitar
Robin Mazen – Bass
Gus Ríos – Drums

FFO: Death, Morgoth, Pestilence, Autopsy, Massacre, Obituary, Cancer, Master, Possessed, Jungle Rot, Exhumed

Links:
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Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well