It's always gratifying when a band remembers that music is about entertainment as well as expression, and are able to incorporate some fun and light-heartedness into their work, even if it is Blackened Death Metal. CHRISTGRINDER began doing that when they named their band, and although their latest record "Whence Cometh Evil?" does contain a number of serious points it also knows when to release some tension and kick off its shoes to ask, "why so serious?"

As mentioned before, the album does contain a definite set of principles and ideas that carry a certain weight, and which are often conveyed through the intros of songs in a recording or excerpt. This is sometimes reminiscent of bands like IRON MAIDEN who made constant use of this, particularly in "All is Dust" where even the voice itself sounds identical.
Unlike with many bands, it is possible to listen to the album and hear the lyrics thanks to the relatively audible vocals which are mercifully well produced not to overpower, or be drowned out by the music. The fact that three vocalists as well as a couple of guests have contributed  helps with this, as some vocal sections really do sound like a demon spitting out noises while others are far more understandable and human-like.

"Faster Than the Speed of Darkness" is the band's silly 11 seconds, where no message is conveyed other than that they enjoy a laugh every now and again. "To Reign in Hell" shows that they are influenced by other genres than just Death Metal, as its repetitive high-note plucking and long sustained notes suggest a healthy dose of Doom Metal has been injected into the creative process here. The vocals in this song are amongst the most understandable of the record, with what seems like two different vocalists contributing to create a nicely balanced sound.

What this friendly bunch of Midlanders have done here is produce a body of work that is palatable to fans of not just Death Metal, but Sludge, Doom, and even standard Thrash, too. The way they've done this is with a decent balance in everything; from the vocals to the guitars to the tempo to the song lengths. While it's not perfect, and there times when the tracks seem to drag on for hours without really going anywhere, it is a step in the right direction for bringing genres together and appealing to fans from different musical backgrounds.