During one of my first escorted walks as a n00b through these great halls, I attempted (through the coarse burlap sack tied over my head) to convey my excitement for the new Feral release. A particularly seductive, Dolphin–sounding voice dismissed my joy, describing the album as “just more Swedeath.” At the time, I was shocked and appalled. Sure, Swedish death metal is the chicken wing of the metal soundscape, with a narrow definition and specific ingredients, but that’s part of the appeal. How would anyone dare reduce one of the basic deathly food groups in such a way? Well, as if an answer to a prayer nobody made, Ukraine’s Dying Grotesque have arrived with their sophomore album Celestial, and don’t let the Ukrainian tag fool you. This album is as Swedish as they come.
If you’re addicted to the Swedeath sound, Celestial’s production will have you smitten out the gate. From the tank-tread weight of “Nuclear Meadows” doomy intro to the tension-building leads of “Purification,” Dying Grotesque puts the chainsaw in the Swedish Chainsaw tone. Sounding grand and intimidating, the riffs slot right in next to the blood and thunder of Lik and the arena-ready feel of Gatecreeper in heft and power. It will surprise no one to learn Dying Grotesque do their best to Dismember their own Grave, though their start-stop styling flows less Like an Everflowing Stream, preferring to walk Where Ironcrosses Grow.1 At first blush, all is familiar, pleasing to the ear, and goes down easily, just like a well-prepared plate of wings ought to.
To their credit, Dying Grotesque knows that sauces and spices are the difference between great and not-so-great wings. Unfortunately, their sonic culinary skills lead to questionable results. Opener “Mortality”2 features a bizarre, inexplicable “maniacal clown” laugh which doesn’t fit the album as a whole or the song in particular. More frustratingly, the song ends with some light atmospherics and gentle trebley plucking which sounds like a lead into some genuinely interesting material, only for the song to suddenly end. This trick happens elsewhere, with “Nuclear Meadows” and “Point of View” experimenting with dynamics and tension building, only to collapse into expected, standard Swedish riffs. Individually some riffs come with real hair on their chest (seriously, at least listen to “Nuclear Meadows”). Still, the power of the moment never transpires into a memorable song as a whole. “Pneumonia” suffers from a glut of riffs strung together, gleefully shifting from one to another in the hopes of producing anything that doesn’t fade from memory as soon as the song is over. The result of this is an album less than the sum of its parts, despite the competence of individual snippets.
Performances in Celestial are well-executed if a little bog standard. Guitarist/Vocalist Vadym Tsambaliuk has a solid growl, despite a range of precisely one note across the entire album. Solos are sparse, and engaging when presented, though none are world-changing. Drummer Andriy Butok seems to suffer the most from the constriction and rigidity of song styles. During the more frenzied riffs, he relies heavily on the snare ‘n’ bass staple but gets to show off his skill set during slower moments where the sustained chords give him room to breathe and get creative in the pocket. More of his technical chops on display during the faster, intense moments would go far in pushing the sound Dying Grotesque has to offer.
In the end, it seems I had one final n00b lesson to learn: there really is such a thing as “just more Swedeath.” Dying Grotesque is a capable band, and Celestial is an okay album. It has the sound, the style, and the approach. It just needs the songwriting. I can’t knock Celestial for a lack of raw originality, but in a world with new Feral reminding us of the potent power the style can offer, the lack of lethal riffs simply won’t cut it. If you haven’t had your fill of chicken wings yet, give this a listen for some tasty empty calories, but Dying Grotesque will need to switch up their sauces in the future to make a meal truly satisfying.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Archivist Records
Websites: dyinggrotesque.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: November 29th, 2024
The post Dying Grotesque – Celestial appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
