For many, it’s only natural to follow in the footsteps of their influences. It’s a relatively easier path that sees you steeped in a realm that you’re already quite familiar with in some form or another, yet it is not always the path to success that many might anticipate. In order to do such a thing, it is still imperative that you make the work your own in more than one way in order to not come across as little more than a cheap copy riding the coattails of those that came before and did a lot of the hard work for you. Still, it’s not impossible so long as you approach it with respect and calculated moves like what Gruesome has achieved for years now with their third album continuing to embody that concept magnificently.

The legacy of Death is simply undeniable. The impact that the band has had on death metal and beyond is something that one cannot overstate given the wide-reaching influence that the act still has upon a vast swathe of the scene even unto today with their presence still felt in much of the underground, and Gruesome has done their best to perpetuate death metal in that well-acclaimed approach since their debut ten years ago. Becoming slightly more progressive as the years have piled on, I think it’s safe to say that Gruesome has pulled it off to dramatic effect such that their predecessors are given real justice, and it’s with “Silent Echoes” that one could very well argue that Gruesome has put forth its most engaging performance to date. A dense creation that relies on far more than riffs and a few galloping melodies for intrigue, “Silent Echoes” is singularly unforgiving in its songwriting and approach. Still evoking that old school feel to tremendous results and carefully making sure that the work doesn’t feel like a stale replication that we’ve seen done exhaustingly over and over again across the underground, Gruesome treads that line expertly. Conniving in its machinations and brutal in its execution, it’s throughout “Silent Echoes” that we’re given a relatively straightforward yet nonetheless efficient embodiment of the style that has so much personality, drive, and vision that one is left no less than pummeled in its wake.

Sonically, we’ve heard much of this done before, yet Gruesome somehow manages to accomplish intrigue and power where many others fall short – a testament to their passion for the craft and to keep the flame of its predecessors burning hot. There’s always an argument to be made somewhere by someone as to how well Gruesome is adhering to the legacy that Death boasts, and, in my opinion, they’re doing a damn good job of that with “Silent Echoes” not only far and above what many others could hope to achieve on every level but ensuring to not make things too complicated nor allowing the experience to dip anywhere close to boring, stale, or one-dimensional; pitfalls that could destabilize even the finest if they’re not careful.

“Silent Echoes” releases on June 6th via Relapse Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Silent Echoes” on Bandcamp here.

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