The Death Metal quartet known as THE GROTESQUERY is showing us here how classic Death Metal should be composed: raw, sadistic and uncompromising in it's horrying heavyness. In typical Death Metal fashion, their lyrical content are related to macabre tales, occultism and the morbid. This particular album tells us the chilling story of the "Curse of the Skinless Bride". Fans of bands such as BOLT THROWER or CARCASS will be right at home here.

"Unholy Reprisal - Resurrection Of The Coffin Born" tricks us as it begins, with the calm sound of rain falling down... then it explodes with relentless and very heavy guitar riffs, alongside the usual Death-metal style growls that are quite effective I might say. The haunting laugh and the sludgy riffs of "Downfall - It´s All Gone To Hell" are also noteworthy, while "Her Exquisite Corpse - The Skinless Bride" and "The Advent Of The Crooked Man" have a vibe of urgency and uneasyness. "Magnum Innominandum - He Of The Yellow Sign" features some group chanting near the end, like some sort of evil incantation. Strangely enough, the song just before the finale (which is an interlude) is called « This Is The End ». It is twisted like the others, but surprisingly quite melodic in some moments, especially the very end; it features some clean, low pitched vocals that works very well. Between most of the « main » tracks, there are several creepy, atmospheric mini interludes... mostly spoken monologues with a sinister, echoing voice. It could seem like filer to some... but here, it actually adds a lot to the storytelling and the overall ambiance. Those interludes last for about 1 minutes each, with the album ending with one of those.

THE GROTESQUERY is definitively showing us a complex and well thought album Death Metal opus. It's also quite lengthy and the storytelling elements are very strong. Overall, a very ambitious project with a great cover artwork to boot, this is something Death Metal fans should not miss!