Gruesome is a band, a supergroup of sorts, that plants its roots firmly in the Florida death metal scene of the late 80s and early 90s. Unapologetically retro, the band set out to capture the spirit of the early Death records. Savage Land is their debut album, and it's out soon.
A respectful celebration of the sound of the early Death records, the collective was borne out of guitarist/vocalist Matt Harvey (Exhumed) and drummer Gus Rios' (Malevolent Creation) mutual involvement with the Death To All tours — Harvey serving as frontman for the original nine-member mini-tour and Rios performing "Baptized In Blood" and working with DTA drummer Sean Reinert on the following US tour where Exhumed filled in as support on a several dates. The pair stayed in touch and discussed their mutual love (obsession?) for the early half of Death's catalog. After deliberating and ultimately discarding the idea of putting together another incarnation of DTA to focus exclusively on the first two albums, Harvey half-jokingly suggested writing their own songs in that vein. It wasn't long before the idea gained traction, and the "band" had five songs written. With Harvey composing in California, Rios recruited Possessed guitarist Daniel Gonzalez and Derketa bassist Robin Mazen to record the material in Florida, while Harvey tracked his vocals on the West Coast. The result is eight-track debut, Savage Land, a truly gruesome slab of late-'80s/early-'90s Florida-styled death metal.
The track list of Savage Land is:- Savage Land
- Trapped In Hell
- Demonized
- Hideous
- Gangrene
- Closed Casket
- Psychic Twin
- Gruesome
- Land Of No Return (Death Cover)
- Black Magic (Slayer Cover)
Originally posted on Femetalism by Craig Andrews
