So here this is it. The record from GRUESOME, which aims to follow “Human”, the masterpiece, the legendary DEATH recorded in 1991. And it’s also the album that confronted drummer Gus Ríos with the enormous challenge of having to rework the drum-work of his own mentor Sean Reinert, who sadly passed away in January 2020. But let us start from the beginning, for those who don’t know what GRUESOME is all about. During their time together in the DEATH tribute band DEATH TO ALL, guitarist and singer Matt Harvey and drummer Gus Ríos (both do play in EXHUMED normally) had the idea one night that they could write their own songs in the same style as Chuck Schuldiner and his respective comrades-in-arms had written their songs on all the individual DEATH albums. With all the trademarks: breaks, riffings, bass, drum-patterns and – as it turned out in the end – even a voice that seems to become more and more similar to Schuldiner’s. The band logo appeared in a similar style and also the Ed Repka artworks for “Savage Land” and “Twisted Prayers” have taken up typical DEATH features, the zombies like on the legendary DEATH debut “Scream Bloody Gore” or the following “Leprosy”, or the crazy priest who reminds of the guy on the “Spiritual Healing” cover artwork. For all these fans of the exceptional band around Chuck Schuldiner, who died 2001 far too early and under tragic circumstances, this is a real pleasure. And now “Human”! The DEATH album that was to take Death Metal to another dimension overnight in 1991: more progressive, free and easily sounding, much groovier but still incredibly heavy. GRUESOME can’t improve on the original, that they knew before. But songs like ‘Voice Behind The Void’, ‘Condemned Identity’ or ‘Silent Echoes’ get so damn close to the spirit of “Human”. The drumming definitely follows into the footsteps of Sean Reinert by repeatedly daring to break out and play sequences of beats that at first seem disharmonious, but in the overall context result in a fitting whole. Robin Mazen plays her bass almost a little like on “Individual Thought Patterns” while the guitars sound so familiar while playing with all the typical melodies – but without copying them. On the record, GRUESOME have no hits like ‘Lack Of Comprehension’ and ‘Suicide Machine’. But they manage to build real bridges twice: If you listen to ‘Fragements Of Psyche’ directly after ‘Cosmic Sea’, or letting ‘Frailty’ directly following ‘Suicide Machine’, you can hear how close this band is to the 1991 classic. Respect for the musical achievement, “Silent Echoes” has become a great record! Even the artwork – again – follows the original. Excellent! More info at: www.facebook.com/gruesomedeathmetal, www.facebook.com/relapserecords