FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…
On November 17, 2014, Bloodbath released their fourth full-length studio album “Grand Morbid Funeral” via Peaceville Records.
Background:
After the departure of Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), (who had lost interest in performing Death Metal), Bloodbath were in search of a new voice for the band. After much time, and anticipation, the bands rabid fan base read on with frothed mouths as Blakkheim stated in (multiple) interviews that Bloodbath had found a new vocalist. But, the fans would soon realize that they would have to wait a little longer to discover who this mysterious singer would be, as the band could not reveal the identity at that moment due to the lack of contract. When asked in one interview whether the new vocalist was known or not, Blakkheim said, "Oh, he's a legend!". Then at last, the band announced on September 16, 2014 that the new Bloodbath vocalist was none-other than Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost.
With new vocalist Nick Holmes in tow, Bloodbath recorded Grand Morbid Funeral at Ghost Ward and City of Glass in Stockholm, Sweden from March - September. The album was self-produced by the band. The first Bloodbath album to feature vocalist Nick Holmes, Anders "Blakkheim" Nystrom of the band had been quoted as saying that the album was a "destructive, raw, heavy, organic and sludgy Death Metal album”.
The album also features guest appearances from Chris Reifert and Eric Cutler from Death Metal band Autopsy.
Critical Reception:
Blabbermouth.net described the "unapologetic fury" of Grand Morbid Funeral and stated that the album "brings the same old-school, brutalized Death Metal Bloodbath has been hailed for".
MetalSucks commented that new singer "Holmes' voice is just the worm-gut-strewn axe-to-the-skull this music needs" and stated that "if you've spent most of 2014 waiting around to get leveled by a Death Metal record with a little legacy heft, you might want to get out there and snatch up the new Bloodbath".
The review in Exclaim! stated that "Bloodbath have upped the brutality ante with Grand Morbid Funeral" and claimed that Holmes has "surpassed expectations with powerful and sinister throat-gurgling delivery".
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
Follow Us:
Subscribe to Into the Wells at: https://intothewellsabyss.wixsite.com/intothewells
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Intothewells.abyss
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/into_the_wells
You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/into_the_wells?s=21&t=ISh9VpVYRrOy70MsZZVXTQ
Comments