Description

Sweden’s power-trio, Grisly, amalgamates past and present band members of Paganizer—Dennis Blomberg and Rogga Johansson respectively—and new-to-the-scene drummer Henke Lundgren. Three-piece metal outfits are certainly not encountered often, and this organization speaks volumes when the sheer amount of music Grisly puts out at once is experienced. The musicianship frequently straddles the line between being redundant and great, leaving some portions of the album a haze and others so catchy that they distinguish themselves after few listens. The Spectral Wars, as its name implies, wages a ghoulish heavy-gain assault on the listener with the only respite given to build effect-laden dread before launching into its salvo of haunted, riff-driven progressions. Particular segments have drawn me back to The Spectral Wars, even after having access to it for several weeks, and have me largely hopeful for the future work of Grisly. Regardless, moments of genius clash with lapses in judgement stemming from repetitive chord progressions and one or two questionable guitar solos. This dichotomy is the ultimate struggle of The Spectral Wars. Concept and attitude are so beautifully presented in a sonic wall of blast-beats and sludgy riffs, yet it stumbles at key moments, drawing the listener out in all the wrong spots. In some cases, these faults would instantly ruin an album, but these feel more like the growing-pains of a trio looking to add the “power” to their title, more so than any sort of lack of musical awareness. Grisly displays the aptitude and talent in their debut to remedy any faults in future endeavours, and they should be noted by anyone in the need of cathartic breakdowns or eclectic imagery.

Track list:
1. Consumed from Beneath
2. Rot to the Living
3. Parasite Parasite
4. The Casket Eaters
5. Teeth That Rips
6. Bring Out the Horrors
7. Supernatural Warfare
8. Sentenced to Armageddon
9. Into Insanity
10. The Spectral Wars